By Amy Jones

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The UK is set to be hit with Storm Amy from today, with ferocious winds and heavy rainfall expected and seven weather warnings in place. In preparation for the storm, Brits are being urged to carry out five basic tasks to ensure their safety and others around them. The Met Office has cautioned that gusts reaching 70mph will hit “fairly widely” while “more exposed areas” could be battered by winds of up to 95mph alongside heavy downpours nationwide. The official forecaster revealed: “Storm Amy is expected to bring a spell of strong winds to many parts of northern and western Britain later on Friday and overnight into Saturday. “South to southwesterly winds will increase during Friday, initially in the west before extending eastwards during Friday night. Gusts of 50-60 mph are likely in many areas, and may reach 60-70 mph in more exposed parts. “The strongest winds are most likely across portions of northern and western Scotland , where gusts in excess of 90 mph are possible – this is covered by a separate Amber warning for the Friday night period.” The Met Office has issued an Amber wind warning for Northern Ireland and northern and western parts of Scotland, effective from this afternoon (3 October). This alert signals a potential threat to life and property, along with possible power cuts, travel delays, and road and rail closures. In addition, a Yellow weather warning for rain and wind has been issued for various areas across the UK. The full list of areas affected by this warning can be found here. As the weather warnings remain and Storm Amy is predicted to make a ruthless arrival, here are five things you should do today. With the storm expected to cause travel delays in areas across the UK, due to fallen debris or floods on roads, the Met Office has encouraged everyone to check road conditions before driving. They’ve also advised checking bus and train timetables before starting a journey, and for all travel, amend plans if necessary. Before a journey, the Met Office advises: Weather warnings can change quickly, so it’s important to stay up to date with the weather forecast in your area. You can check via the Met Office website, on your phone’s weather app, and on the TV or radio. With high winds expected to batter areas across the region, it’s a good idea to check for loose items outside your home and secure them down where possible. Alternatively, you could place items away in a shed or garage. The Met Office has listed a number of items to check: The Met Office advises checking if your property is at risk of flooding, and to prepare a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. You can check if your area could be at risk of floods here , and you may want to use protection such as sandbags and floodboards on your home if necessary. A flood plan can be put together following this list as a guide: In addition, an emergency flood kit should include essential items such as the following: If there are high winds in your area, it can make you more vulnerable to injury. The Met Office advises: ” Stay indoors as much as possible. If you do go out, try not to walk or shelter close to buildings and trees.”