Met Office Yellow Weather Warning for Northern Ireland - very strong winds and heavy rain

Gusts of 55-65 mph are expected, especially in exposed coastal locations and over higher routes, with some sudden strong gusts of wind possible at times. A band of heavy rain will also accompany the very strong winds.The wind warning applies until 9pm today, Wednesday 2 November and is for County Antrim and County Down.A Yellow Warning for rain applies right across Northern Ireland and is valid until 3pm today.The period of very windy weather will affect Irish Sea coastal areas, before spreading to parts of northern England and Scotland.The Met Office has warned to expect some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport.It also advised that some bus and train services will be affected, with some journeys taking longer than normal.Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges are also likely and some short term loss of power and other services are possible.It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves.Flooding of some homes and businesses is likely and spray and flooding on roads will probably making journey times longer.

The Met Office has given the following advice for driving in heavy rain and high winds;-

Even moderate rain can reduce your ability to see and be seen. A good rule of thumb is ‘if it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow down’

If heavy downpours are expected, avoid starting your journey until it clears