The Met Office has announced Storm Lilian, which is expected to bring severe weather conditions to northern parts of the UK as millions prepare for the August bank holiday weekend. With gusts potentially reaching up to 80mph, the storm poses a significant threat of disruption.

Two new yellow weather warnings have been issued for heavy rain in south-west Scotland and along the Aberdeenshire coast, starting from 9pm on Thursday and continuing until 9am on Friday. Additionally, a yellow wind warning has been put in place for northern England and north Wales, effective from 5am to 11am on Friday. Winds in these areas are anticipated to reach speeds of 50-60mph.

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The warnings follow a bout of heavy rain and strong winds that impacted large parts of Scotland and northern England on Wednesday. Earlier on Thursday, yellow wind warnings were already in place for northern Wales and northern England, covering regions such as Cumbria and Northumberland.

Storm Lilian is the fifth named storm of the year and the first since April. The Met Office names storms that are likely to cause significant disruption or damage, particularly when they warrant an amber or red warning.

The storm's timing coincides with the busy August bank holiday travel period. The RAC predicts that 19.2 million leisure trips will be made by car over the weekend, with 3.2 million trips expected on Friday alone. This marks the highest level of bank holiday travel recorded by the motoring services company since it began collecting this data in 2015.