New Year, New Severe Weather Warnings...

YELLOW ALERTS FOR WIND AND HEAVY RAIN FOR MUCH OF WALES

- ANDREW FORGRAVE

A series of severe weather warnings has been issued by the Met Office for New Year's Day. A deep area of low pressure is forecast to track east across the UK producing "very strong winds", "persistent rainfall" and, in some places, heavy snowfalls on January 1 and 2.

After a mild and grey Christmas period, forecasters have warned of a named storm brewing. Gales are expected to hit all of Wales and much of the country will see heavy rainfall.

The Met Office yellow warning for snow is for a swathe of England north from Manchester running up to southern Scotland, and including Northern Ireland. Some wintry showers may affect the North Wales hills on January 2, with more forecast for later in the week.