Britain braced for gale force winds Parts of the country will be battered by gale force winds of up to 65mph today, while rain is also expected to lash many areas. Severe weather warnings have been issued for Wales, the South West, the Midlands, London and the South East and eastern parts of the country. The unseasonable weather has already seen a number of trees brought down, including one which crushed a car near Tavistock, Devon, yesterday afternoon. Crews from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service used cutting gear to remove the roof of the vehicle and release a woman who was taken to hospital. A fallen tree also caught fire after it brought down power lines across the River Axe at Forde Abbey in Chard, Somerset, last night. Rain affected many areas yesterday with the first day of the third Test between England and the West Indies at Edgbaston washed out. A spokesman for the Met Office said the South Coast would be battered by severe gales today while temperatures would be cool for the time of year, with the maximum expected to be 16C (61F). Rain will also fall on much of the country with Wales due to get the biggest drenching. Aisling Creevey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: The heaviest rain will be across Wales, the Midlands and western and northern England. The South West could see anywhere between 15mm and 25mm of rain. What we are seeing is tight pressure gradients across the UK, meaning it is really windy. Winds could reach up to 65mph across exposed coastal areas of Wales and south-west and southern England. Across northern England, where the low pressure is moving over, winds are a bit more slack, and they are moderate across southern and central Scotland. But we could see winds of up to 50mph across northernmost Scotland, and about 40mph to 45mph across the Northern Isles. Met Office spokesman Charlie Powell said: "It is possible there could be up to three inches of rain in hilly and mountainous areas of Wales, with lower but still substantial rainfall in more low-lying areas." The strong winds are expected to ease off throughout the day, though there may still be gusts of up to 55mph in some places.