Weather: 70mph gales could hit Britain this weekend The Met Office predicted gales of around 40-50mph would affect much of England, Wales and southern Scotland on Saturday and Sunday, with gusts of up to 70mph in the south east. Heavy outbreaks of rain could exacerbate flooding, while the poor weather is likely to continue next Monday and Tuesday. The forecast came after more than 100 homes and business were flooded, trains were cancelled and dozens of roads were closed as up to five inches of rain fell in areas of south west England, the Midlands and Scotland on Thursday. Builders" merchants in the south west were running low on sandbags as 82 Environment Agency flood warnings and 175 less serious flood alerts remained in place last night, with Devon, Dorset and Gloucestershire among the areas most at risk. The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for much of England, Wales and Scotland. The strongest winds affected Wales on Thursday, where speeds of 86mph were recorded in Capel Curig, Snowdonia. Elsewhere, a robbery trial was halted at Warwick Crown Court after four glass windows shattered in high winds, forcing security staff to evacuate defendants. Winds gusting to Force 6 delayed cross-Channel ferry crossings while CrossCountry trains cancelled services between Plymouth and Bristol. The poor driving conditions led to record call-outs for the AA, with around 900 breakdowns being reported every hour. Yet some hardy beachgoers were seen windsurfing at Gwithian beach in Cornwall. A Met Office spokesman said: "There is more very unsettled weather to come this weekend which will bring further impact across the UK. People should stay up to date with the weather forecast over the coming days.