A woman has been killed by a piece of debris blown into the street as a storm battered the UK with winds of up to 94mph.

Storm Doris – described by meteorologists as a "weather bomb" – uprooted trees, grounded planes, caused chaos on the roads and forced the closure of the Port of Liverpool.

Temperatures are set to plummet as the storm leaves an icy trail in its wake, but winds will drop as it moves out to the North Sea, said the Met Office.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

The unnamed victim was killed when an object said to be the "size of a coffee table" was blown into the street in Wolverhampton city centre.

Passer-by Rebecca Davis, 40, a teacher from the city, saw medics trying to save the woman's life.

She said the victim, who looked to be aged "between 20 and 30", appeared to have been hit by something looking like a piece of roof which had fallen off a building nearby.

"I think the wind broke it and caused it to fall. I don't know if it was hit by something else or just the wind did it," she said.

She added that while the woman had been hit "right outside Starbucks", it was unclear if the debris had fallen from the coffee shop or from a nearby building.

"I don't think anyone else was hurt. It was a big piece about the size of a coffee table but I think it just hit her," she said.

Starbucks said in statement: "We are shocked and saddened by this terrible incident.

"We are supporting the police with their investigation and our store will remain closed until further notice."

Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Storm Doris hits the UK Show all 17 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Storm Doris hits the UK 1/17 A fallen tree brought down by high winds from Storm Doris lies across a main road in Isleworth in London, Britain Reuters 2/17 Emergency personnel attend the scene in Cardinal Place, Victoria aftera man is thought to have been injured by a section of falling debris PA wire 3/17 Commuters waiting at King's Cross Station in London, as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain. PA wire 4/17 A bin blown onto the tracks at Waterloo station in London, as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 5/17 A car damaged by a tree which left two men injured, on the A49 north of Church Stretton in Shropshire PA wire 6/17 The scene in Wolverhampton city center after a woman died when she was hit by a piece of roof the 'size of a coffee table' as Storm Doris has claimed its first victim PA wire 7/17 A double decker bus blown onto its side by Storm Doris in Walton Highway near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 8/17 A double decker bus blown onto its side by Storm Doris in Walton Highway near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PA wire 9/17 Spikes protude from a colourful umbrella as a woman struggles against the elements on the seafront at Seaham, in County Durham, north east England EPA 10/17 ESB workers attend to power lines damaged by a fallen tree as allmost 46,000 Irish households woke up to no electricity after violent gusts battered large swathes of the country through the night PA wire 11/17 A children's play area is crushed by fallen trees in Stoke-on Trent, as Storm Doris battered swathes of the country PA wire 12/17 A plane comes in to land at Leeds Bradford Airport as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 13/17 People make their way across Westminster Bridge while gusts of winds sweep across the capital in London EPA 14/17 Queues outside Peterborough railway station after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 15/17 A tree which has fallen onto a van in St Anne's Road in Aigburth, Liverpool, as Storm Doris battered swathes of the country PA wire 16/17 A rainbow over the Nottingham Wheel in the Old Market Square, as Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 17/17 Waves crash over the lighthouse in Newhaven, East Sussex PA 1/17 A fallen tree brought down by high winds from Storm Doris lies across a main road in Isleworth in London, Britain Reuters 2/17 Emergency personnel attend the scene in Cardinal Place, Victoria aftera man is thought to have been injured by a section of falling debris PA wire 3/17 Commuters waiting at King's Cross Station in London, as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain. PA wire 4/17 A bin blown onto the tracks at Waterloo station in London, as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 5/17 A car damaged by a tree which left two men injured, on the A49 north of Church Stretton in Shropshire PA wire 6/17 The scene in Wolverhampton city center after a woman died when she was hit by a piece of roof the 'size of a coffee table' as Storm Doris has claimed its first victim PA wire 7/17 A double decker bus blown onto its side by Storm Doris in Walton Highway near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 8/17 A double decker bus blown onto its side by Storm Doris in Walton Highway near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PA wire 9/17 Spikes protude from a colourful umbrella as a woman struggles against the elements on the seafront at Seaham, in County Durham, north east England EPA 10/17 ESB workers attend to power lines damaged by a fallen tree as allmost 46,000 Irish households woke up to no electricity after violent gusts battered large swathes of the country through the night PA wire 11/17 A children's play area is crushed by fallen trees in Stoke-on Trent, as Storm Doris battered swathes of the country PA wire 12/17 A plane comes in to land at Leeds Bradford Airport as flights have been cancelled and commuters were warned they faced delays after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 13/17 People make their way across Westminster Bridge while gusts of winds sweep across the capital in London EPA 14/17 Queues outside Peterborough railway station after Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 15/17 A tree which has fallen onto a van in St Anne's Road in Aigburth, Liverpool, as Storm Doris battered swathes of the country PA wire 16/17 A rainbow over the Nottingham Wheel in the Old Market Square, as Storm Doris reached nearly 90mph on its way to batter Britain PA wire 17/17 Waves crash over the lighthouse in Newhaven, East Sussex PA

The Met Office said a top wind speed of 94mph was recorded in Capel Curig, North Wales, on Thursday morning.

Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences

The storm is set to leave frost and wintry showers and a plunge in temperatures of 7C, reaching around 3C in the south and dropping to freezing in some cities overnight.

Warnings of strong winds and heavy rain in North Wales, the Midlands, the East and the North West have also now been extended to include the London area.

There were reports of trees felled by the winds across the country, with one trapping a man in a van on the A374 in Cornwall, and others collapsing on to houses in London and Wigan.

As Doris hit, Peel Ports in Liverpool announced the city's port had been closed due to "100mph gusts of wind".

The company said: "All operations are stood down for the safety of our employees, contractors and customers of the port."

Network Rail said the violent weather had caused "significant disruption throughout the country", with an enforced speed limit on some lines.

With fallen trees, objects caught in overhead wires, heavy rain, flooding and debris on the tracks causing delays across many services, a spokesman said employees are "doing all we can to keep the network running".

Flights were also affected, with a Heathrow spokesman warning of a "10 per cent reduction" in the airport's schedule.

A number of roads were closed including the M6 Thelwall Viaduct in both directions between junction 20 and 21 in the North West and the QE2 Bridge in Dartford, Kent.

In Scotland snowfall saw the M80 closed in both directions, as well as schools shut and some ferry services cancelled.

Up to 15cm (6 inches) of snow was expected to fall across parts of Scotland and north-east England, bringing treacherous, blizzard-like conditions.

And in Ireland almost 46,000 households woke up to no electricity after violent gusts battered large swathes of the country throughout the night.

Press Association contributed to this report</s>Woman dies in Wolverhampton as high winds, heavy snow and rain also bring major disruption to roads, trains and flights

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Met Office has declared Storm Doris a “weather bomb” as gales and snow hit parts of Britain.

High winds brought widespread travel disruption on roads, rail, in the air and on the water. A woman died in Wolverhampton city centre after suffering serious head injuries after being hit by falling debris.

In Cornwall, a man was taken to hospital after being rescued by firefighters when a tree hit his van on the A374 near Torpoint. The extent of his injuries was not known.

Storm Doris 'weather bomb' brings snow, gales and travel disruption – live updates Read more

The QE2 bridge in Dartford, Kent, the Orwell bridge in Suffolk and the Severn bridge between England and Wales were closed because of the high winds. The port of Liverpool was closed due to gusts of 100mph. In Scotland, the M80 was closed between Glasgow and Stirling because of heavy snow but later reopened.

In north Wales, a 94mph gust hit Capel Curig, although later wind speeds of 80mph were recorded, suggesting the storm had passed its peak. Winds of 60mph-plus were reported elsewhere.

A weather bomb is an intense low-pressure system with a central pressure that falls by 24 millibars in a 24-hour period.

The Met Office extended its amber – be prepared – warning covering Wales and much of England to London, where winds were expected to reach 60-70mph. It said damage to structures, interruptions to power supplies and widespread disruption to travel networks were likely, and there was a danger of injury from flying debris. Trees were likely to be damaged or blown over, it said.

Met Office (@metoffice) #StormDoris continues to bring very strong winds, heavy rain and snow in places. Here are the highest wind gusts so far pic.twitter.com/TGwvERv95y

Aer Lingus cancelled 12 flights within England and between England and the Republic of Ireland, while Heathrow advised passengers to check for delays and cancellations before travelling.



Network Rail imposed speed restrictions on some lines, and services were disrupted by debris and fallen trees. Damage to overhead power lines in St Albans caused trains from St Pancras station in London to be cancelled. Network Rail warned of disruption till midday.

More than 200 homes in Macclesfield, Cheshire, lost electricity because of a fallen tree and there were also reports of power outages on the island of Anglesey, north Wales.

An amber warning of snow remains in place for north-east England and southern and central Scotland. The Met Office said up to 30cm was possible on higher ground.



Yellow – be aware – warnings were in place for Northern Ireland and the rest of Scotland, for wind and snow respectively.

In the Republic of Ireland, where Met Éireann issued a yellow warning predicting winds of up to 75mph, almost 50,000 homes were without power on Thursday morning, mainly due to fallen trees knocking down power lines.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Traffic on one side of the M80 near Falkirk. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Highways England issued a weather alert on major roads. It said high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes were particularly at risk, and it “strongly advised” drivers to avoid travelling on some stretches of road in Yorkshire, the Midlands, and the east and north-west.

Storm Doris could blow away Labour byelection hopes, MPs fear Read more

Richard Leonard, the head of road safety at Highways England, said: “We’re expecting Storm Doris to have a significant impact on the roads throughout the day so are urging drivers to consider changing their plans if necessary and to slow down in stormy weather. Drivers should look out for warnings on the electronic message signs and listen for updates in radio travel bulletins.”

AA spokesman John Snowling said: “The unpleasant combination of torrential rain, severe gales and heavy snow will create some very poor driving conditions, with the potential for roads to be affected by black ice, debris or standing water.



“Wind can also bring down tree branches, blow you off course or blow other vehicles into your path. Expect travel disruption as some roads will be treacherous.”

Storm Doris is expected to move on quickly, with the worst of the weather gone by Thursday evening. More wind and rain is forecast for the weekend and into next week, but it is not expected to reach the extremes of Doris.

The bad weather contrasts with earlier in the week when visitors to Kew Gardens in west London enjoyed the UK’s warmest day of the winter so far, at 18.3C (64.9F). Parts of London and the south of England had temperatures warmer than southern Spain.</s>A severe weather warning for up to 15cm of snow in eastern Scotland has been issued by the Met Office for tomorrow

A spokesman said: "Heavy snow is expected on Thursday.

"Accumulations of 10 to 15cm are likely quite widely, with 20 to 30cm falling on hills above 300 metres.

"This will lead to disruption to transport and perhaps power supplies.

"As Storm Doris moves eastwards across central parts of the UK on Thursday a spell of heavy snow is expected on its northern flank.

"There is some uncertainty over the track of Doris and therefore over the extent of snowfall, but confidence is now higher for disruptive snow to affect the amber area."A less severe yellow - "be aware" - warning has been issued for mainland Scotland as far north as Aberdeenshire.

The agency warned of transport disruption and power cuts were likely because of winds of up to 60mph, and possible flooding from heavy rain.

Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: “We have named Storm Doris as we expect winds of up to 80mph, heavy rain and some snowfall to cause disruption across some central and northern parts of the UK on Thursday.

“Currently, the most likely track of the low pressure system is across Northern Ireland and northern England, and we expect to see the strongest winds in the north of Wales and central England.

"As well as heavy rain, as the low pressure system moves eastwards it will draw down cold air from the north which will cause some of this precipitation to fall as snow across parts of northern England and Scotland."

The yellow - "be aware" - warning for Scotland will be in force from 2am to 6pm on Thursday for most of mainland Scotland apart from northern Aberdeenshire and the northern Highlands.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: "Snow is expected over high ground of northern England and Scotland on Thursday and may fall to low levels for a time in Scotland.

"Snow accumulations of 5 to 10cm are expected on some hills with 2 to 5cm possible to lower levels to the north of the Central Lowlands.

"The largest accumulations of 10 to 20cm are likely on highest parts of the north Pennines and Southern Uplands.

"In addition, strong winds are expected to develop with gusts of 50 to 60 mph.

"This will result in drifting of the snow and blizzard conditions over high ground.

"Associated heavy rain at lower levels will be an additional hazard.

"The combination of snow, strong winds and heavy rain is likely to lead to disruption to transport networks and perhaps power supplies."

The Met Office chief forecaster added: "A developing area of low pressure is expected to move across the UK on Thursday.

"The exact timings and track of this system remain uncertain, but it looks likely that this will push across cold air in place over the northern half of the UK, allowing for precipitation to fall as snow over high ground at least.

"There is then the potential for snow to come down to lower levels at times in heavier precipitation, perhaps more so as the system clears to the east.

"In addition, heavy rain may lead to some localised flooding at lower levels."

The amber warning for England includes gusts of up to 80 mph, which the Met Office warned could damage buildings, and cause power cuts and and widespread travel disruption, with a danger of injury from flying debris.

A separate yellow warning for severe gales gusting to 80mph has been issued by the Met Office for Orkney, southern Shetland, the north coast of the mainland and the north-east tip of Aberdeenshire until 3pm today.

The ScotRail Alliance with Network Rail has already cancelled several trains north of Ardgay or Lairg on the Far North Line between Inverness and Wick/Thurso "due to forecasted severe weather".

Flights, ferries and road travel could also be disrupted.

The agency's spokeswoman said: "West to northwesterly severe gales are expected for a time on Wednesday, bringing gusts of 65-70 mph and locally 75-80 mph over parts of the Northern Isles.

"A swathe of very strong winds is expected to affect Orkney, southern parts of Shetland and the far north of mainland Scotland early on Wednesday, easing from the west through the morning."These will however briefly clip the far north east of Aberdeenshire around the middle of the day."</s>Two severe weather warnings are in place across the UK today (Wednesday 22 February) as the precursors of storm Doris begin to swell in the atmosphere above the British Isles. The Met Office say Storm Doris is predicted to bring snow, wind and rain to much of the country.

Today there is a wind weather warning in northern Scotland where gusts of up 80mph can be expected, bringing disruption to road, air and ferry services.

The chief forecaster said: "A swathe of very strong winds is expected to affect Orkney, southern parts of Shetland and the far north of mainland Scotland early on Wednesday, easing from the west through the morning. These will however briefly clip the far north-east of Aberdeenshire around the middle of the day."

Across Northern Ireland there is a rain weather warning with snow also expected, according to the Met Office

The chief forecaster said: "Rainfall totals of 20-30 mm could bring some localised flooding and surface water issues, with any temporary snowfall bringing some difficult travel conditions. Then later on Thursday morning gusts of 55mph could bring some minor travel disruption."

A rare amber weather warning has been put inn place for much of the UK on Thursday when Storm Doris will get into full swing. A central swathe of England and northern Wales are predicted by the Met Offfice to be the worst affected areas.

Chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: "We have named Storm Doris as we expect winds of up to 80mph, heavy rain and some snowfall to cause disruption across some central and northern parts of the UK on Thursday.

"As well as heavy rain, as the low pressure system moves eastwards it will draw down cold air from the north which will cause some of this precipitation to fall as snow across parts of northern England and Scotland.</s>Storm Doris has arrived in Scotland as much of the country woke up to heavy snowfall and gale-force winds.

A Met Office amber "be prepared" snow warning covers most of southern and central Scotland.

Coming after a mainly mild February so far, the country is tipped to be hit by up to 15cm of snow, with accumulations of 30cm potentially falling on hills above 300 metres.

In the Scottish Borders, all school transport has been cancelled, while flights from London to Glasgow and between Glasgow and Ireland have also been disrupted.

A number of CalMac services are also affected by high winds, with ferries in Adrossan, Wemyss Bay and Oban disrupted.

Storm Doris is the first major winter weather front for two months.

Yellow "be aware" warnings are in place for many parts of Scotland, while amber "be prepared" notices are in force on Thursday for snow across the central belt, the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside and Fife.

Weather warnings are also in place across most of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Met Office said: "As Storm Doris moves eastwards across central parts of the UK on Thursday, a spell of heavy snow is expected on its northern flank.

"There is some uncertainty over the track of Doris and, therefore, over the extent of snowfall, but confidence is now higher for disruptive snow to affect the amber area.

"Heavy snow is expected on Thursday. Accumulations of 10 to 15cm are likely quite widely, with 20 to 30cm falling on hills above 300 metres.

"This will lead to disruption to transport and perhaps power supplies."

Motorists have been advised to check travel information before they embark on their journey and BEAR Scotland said gritters will be out patrolling the roads.

Stein Connelly of Traffic Scotland, said: "On Thursday the worst of any snow will be on the higher routes, especially in the central and south of Scotland, and we would ask road users to keep this in mind when they are planning their journeys and that they drive according to the conditions."

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: "The Met Office is telling us that Storm Doris will bring a mixture of heavy snow, sleet and rain across central and southern areas and this will lead to poor driving conditions, especially around the Southern Uplands.

"Transport Scotland is working with the relevant organisations, such as Police Scotland and the road operating companies, to try to mitigate the effects of this latest set of wintry conditions, but we would ask road users to be mindful that disruption is likely and to plan accordingly."</s>Snow, rain and strong winds are due to sweep in today as Storm Doris makes its presence felt around Scotland.

The bad weather is likely to cause travel disruption, damage buildings and send debris flying, forecasters have advised.

Yellow “be aware” warnings are in place for many parts of Scotland, while amber “be prepared” notices are in force on Thursday for snow across the central belt, the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside and Fife.

Weather warnings are also in place across most of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Coming after a mainly mild February so far, Scotland is expected to be hit by up to 15cm of snow falling “quite widely”, with accumulations of 30cm potentially falling on hills above 300 metres.

The strongest winds are forecast across England and Wales on Thursday, but gusts of 50-60 mph are expected widely across the warning area north of the border, with the risk of 70 mph on coasts and hills, the Met Office said.

The Met Office said: “As Storm Doris moves eastwards across central parts of the UK on Thursday, a spell of heavy snow is expected on its northern flank.

“There is some uncertainty over the track of Doris and, therefore, over the extent of snowfall, but confidence is now higher for disruptive snow to affect the amber area.

“Heavy snow is expected on Thursday. Accumulations of 10 to 15cm are likely quite widely, with 20 to 30cm falling on hills above 300 metres.

“This will lead to disruption to transport and perhaps power supplies.”

Motorists have been advised to check travel information before they embark on their journey.

Stein Connelly, of Traffic Scotland, said: “On Thursday the worst of any snow will be on the higher routes, especially in the central and south of Scotland, and we would ask road users to keep this in mind when they are planning their journeys and that they drive according to the conditions.”

BEAR Scotland said gritters will be out patrolling the roads.

“As ever, we ask members of the public to ensure their vehicle is well maintained, that they pay close attention to local and national media and information to help plan journeys during inclement weather and that they carry equipment to help themselves should conditions deteriorate,” a spokeswoman said.

Storm Doris is the first major winter weather front for two months.

The north of the country was worst affected, with homes losing power when Storm Conor hit on Boxing Day with winds of more than 90mph.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “The Met Office is telling us that Storm Doris will bring a mixture of heavy snow, sleet and rain across central and southern areas and this will lead to poor driving conditions, especially around the Southern Uplands.

“Transport Scotland is working with the relevant organisations, such as Police Scotland and the road operating companies, to try to mitigate the effects of this latest set of wintry conditions, but we would ask road users to be mindful that disruption is likely and to plan accordingly.”</s>Storm Doris has rapidly deepened over the last 24 hours as it has under gone what the Met Office call Explosive Cyclogenisis making it a Weather Bomb.

In certain circumstances the central pressure inside a frontal depression can fall at a very rapid rate forcing violent winds from the system known as ‘bombs’.

Follow our live coverage of Storm Doris in Lancashire here

A ‘weather bomb’ is not a perfect meteorological term but is defined as an intense low pressure system with a central pressure that falls 24 millibars in a 24-hour period.

A better description can be more directly linked to the meteorological phenomena known as rapid or explosive cyclogenesis. This is where dry air from the stratosphere flows into an area of low pressure. This causes air within the depression to rise very quickly and increases its rotation, which in turn deepens the pressure and creates a more vigorous storm.

How Storm Doris is affecting the UK

Dozens of flights into and out of Heathrow Airport are expected to be cancelled, with other passengers likely to experience delays.

A Heathrow spokesman said: “Strong winds and poor weather across the UK have resulted in approximately a 10% reduction to Heathrow’s flight schedule. With Heathrow operating at more than 99% capacity, there are no gaps in the schedule that can be used for delayed flights and as a result, some passengers may experience disruption to their journeys today.”

Aer Lingus cancelled 12 flights between the UK and the Republic of Ireland in anticipation of the winds.

Highways England has issued a weather alert on major roads. Particularly at risk are high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes and drivers are “strongly advised” to avoid travelling on some stretches of road in Yorkshire, the Midlands, and the East and North West.

Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, said: “(We) are urging drivers to consider changing their plans if necessary and to slow down in stormy weather.” Meanwhile, up to 15cm of snow could fall across parts of Scotland and north-east England in treacherous, blizzard-like conditions.

Weather warnings have been upgraded to amber across Scotland’s central belt, the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside and Fife.

Amber warnings predict strong winds and heavy rain in parts of north Wales, the Midlands, and the East and North West, while winds as fast as 60mph are also expected to batter southern England.

Storm Doris is expected to move on quickly, with the worst of the weather gone by Thursday evening. While further Atlantic gusts will bring more rain and wind through the weekend and into next week, they are not expected to reach the heights of Doris.</s>Weather warnings have been upgraded ahead of Storm Doris' arrival, with heavy snow and winds of up to 80mph forecast.

Storm Doris is likely to cause travel disruption, damage buildings and send debris flying when it hits on Thursday morning, the Met Office has warned.

Amber warnings predict strong winds and heavy rain in parts of North Wales, the Midlands, and east and north-west England, while winds as fast as 60mph are also expected to batter southern England.

Meanwhile, up to 15cm of snow could fall across parts of Scotland and north-east England in treacherous, blizzard-like conditions.

"We have got a fairly active area of low pressure coming in from the Atlantic," said Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples.

"It is strengthening as it moves eastwards to the UK."

The Met Office's amber weather warning alerts people that "whilst the strongest winds look to be only short-lived, damage to structures, interruptions to power supplies and widespread disruption to travel networks are likely, with a danger of injury from flying debris".

Storm Doris is expected to move on quickly, with the worst of the weather gone by Thursday evening.

While further Atlantic gusts will bring more rain and wind through the weekend and into next week, they are not expected to reach the heights of Doris.

AA spokesman John Snowling said: "The unpleasant combination of torrential rain, severe gales and heavy snow will create some very poor driving conditions, with the potential for roads to be affected by black ice, debris or standing water.

"Wind can also bring down tree branches, blow you off course or blow other vehicles into your path.

"Expect travel disruption as some roads will be treacherous."

Storms with the potential to cause substantial impact are named by the Met Office and Met Eireann, moving through the alphabet.

The first was named Abigail in November 2015, after members of the public suggested monikers for the "name our storms" project.

Forecasters are now in their second run through the alphabet. After Doris, Britons can expect to hear of Ewan, Fleur and Gabriel.

Storm Doris's appearance contrasts with Monday's temperatures, where visitors to Kew Gardens, west London, enjoyed the warmest day of the winter so far, at 18.3C (64.9F).

Parts of London and the south of England had temperatures warmer than Ibiza, southern Spain and Menorca.</s>Storm Doris brought heavy snowfalls to Scotland's highest mountains, raising the potential risk of avalanches.

Thursday's severe weather saw gales batter parts of England and Wales and brought snow and heavy rain to parts of southern and central Scotland and the Highlands.

The Scottish Avalanche Information Service, which monitors for avalanche risk in six mountain areas, has rated the potential for the snow slides as "considerable" in five of them.

The five areas are Creag Meagaidh, Glencoe, Lochaber, Northern Cairngorms and Southern Cairngorms.

A rating of "considerable" means avalanches may occur naturally on some slopes, or could be triggered by the weight of a single person.

Mountains in and around Torridon, the sixth area covered, has had a dusting of snow.

High winds and mild temperatures had stripped large amounts of the snow cover from mountains across the six areas, before temperatures started falling ahead of the arrival of Storm Doris.

The avalanche risk in all six areas will be checked and updated later.</s>Weather warnings for Storm Doris have been upgraded by the Met Office ahead of its arrival across the UK tomorrow.

After a mainly mild February, gales, snow and rain are due to sweep in bringing the risk of travel disruption and damage to property.

Following forecasts from the Met Office and MOD spokesman said armed forces were on standby to help tackle flooding and snow disruption should it come to pass.

Winds of up to 80mph are expected to hit northern Scotland on Wednesday before Doris arrives from the Atlantic on Thursday, the Met Office said.

On Thursday, the strongest winds are forecast across England.

The Met Office said: "As storm Doris moves eastwards across central parts of the UK on Thursday, a spell of heavy snow is expected on its northern flank.

"There is some uncertainty over the track of Doris and, therefore, over the extent of snowfall, but confidence is now higher for disruptive snow to affect the amber area.

"Heavy snow is expected on Thursday. Accumulations of 10 to 15cm are likely quite widely, with 20 to 30cm falling on hills above 300 metres.

"This will lead to disruption to transport and perhaps power supplies."

An MOD spokesman, speaking after Storm Doris was named, said: “Our Armed Forces are ready, should they be needed, to support local authorities in responding to adverse weather."

"We have got a fairly active area of low pressure coming in from the Atlantic," said Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples.

"It is strengthening as it moves eastwards to the UK."

The Met Office's amber weather warning alerts people that "whilst the strongest winds look to be only short-lived, damage to structures, interruptions to power supplies and widespread disruption to travel networks are likely, with a danger of injury from flying debris".

Forecasters are now in their second run through the alphabet when it comes to naming storms.

After Doris, Britons can expect to hear of Ewan, Fleur and Gabriel.
The Met Office issues travel warnings for parts of Wales, Scotland and England as Storm Doris, described as a “weather bomb”, brings gales, heavy rain and snow to the United Kingdom. At least one person is killed.