Portsmouth weather: Ferocious winds set to hit city as Met Office warning issued for Hampshire and south coast

The Met Office has published a yellow alert for the Portsmouth area, Hampshire and much of the south coast of England. They said there is a chance of disruption on Thursday. "A band of heavy, squally rain in expected to move eastwards across England on Thursday with gusts of around 50 mph in a few places very briefly, as well as some hail and thunder," the forecaster added.

"However, there is a small chance of a broader swathe of very strong winds affecting southern and eastern England with gusts of 60 to 70 mph, mostly likely close to English Channel and southern North Sea coasts." The weather warning is in place from 8am tomorrow until 6pm. The Met Office said there is a small likelihood of longer journey times on public transport services including trains and buses, with the potential for flights to be affected.

There may also be problems on the roads, they added. The Met Office said there is a slight chance of damage to buildings - such as tiles blown from roofs - power cuts and mobile phone signal disruption. "There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties," they said. The forecaster added that roads and bridges may close, and flying debris could be an injury hazard.

Heavy rain is forecast over Portsmouth between 10am and 3pm, with a chance of hail at around 2pm. Temperatures are set to fall to 7C in the afternoon and as low as 6C in the evening and overnight. Wind speeds are forecast are expected to exceed 36mph that afternoon. BBC Weather said heavy rain and a fresh breeze is likely tomorrow.