Gusts of up to 70mph and heavy rain are set to sweep across the UK on Wednesday, as parts of Wales were hit with snow.

The weather system, named Storm Noa by Meteo France, is predicted to grow stronger over the course of the day, with coastal areas in south-west England - particularly Devon and Cornwall - likely to be worst affected.

The Met Office has warned of potential short-term losses of power and disruption to road and ferry travel in the region.

Two yellow weather warnings for wind are also in place for south-east England and part of Wales, where the storm is predicted to migrate over the course of the day.

The forecaster said there is a chance of "heavy outbreaks of rain and thunder" in the South East by Wednesday evening.

Stephen Dixon, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: "There's likely to be some warning updates from us of winds with some associated rain throughout the day, with gusts up to 60-70mph this morning and some heavy rains accompanying.

"Coastal areas, particularly Devon and Cornwall, are likely to see the worst of this, with potential short-term losses of power and disruption to travel.

"This is a low-pressure system that is building in from the west and is set to get worse throughout the course of the day."

Although the weather system is a named storm in France, it is not classed as such by the Met Office.

Heavy rain

Heavy showers are also expected in Scotland, with western areas predicted to see in excess of 30mm of rain and other areas set to see around 20mm of rain.

Temperatures in Scotland are expected to be 5C (41F) but will dip to freezing overnight, particularly in rural areas in the north of the country.

A yellow warning for wind has been lifted in Northern Ireland, although the Met Office has predicted strong winds of around 50mph in some coastal areas.

Mr Dixon said: "The setup is low-pressure dominant both in the South West and in Scotland.

"Overnight tonight and into Thursday, we are expecting these low-pressure systems to combine and move into the North Sea. This will leave behind showers across much of the UK with winds decreasing throughout the day on Thursday."

The first storm to be named by the Met Office, or Irish or Dutch weather services, this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022-23 name list.