Weather forecasters say Storm Hannah will begin to blow into Essex and Suffolk this morning, with the strongest winds coming this afternoon.

The latest updates from national forecasters at the Met Office say that Colchester can expect strong winds from 7am on April 27, with the weather front sweeping north into Suffolk as the day goes on.

A band of rain is moving across central England today, expected to break up before making contact with East Anglia, but with potential to cause patchy showers and sudden rain in the west of the region.

East Anglian-based forecasters Weatherquest expect strong winds to start in the region from dawn, with showers and rain expected early this morning and clearer skies this afternoon.

In a tweet Weatherquest said: “Some dry and sunny spells at first in East Anglia but cloud will soon increase with showery rain.

East Anglian Daily Times: The strong winds could cause problems for costal areas, on major travel routes like the A12 and A14, and on the trains Picture: GRAHAM CANNELL/CITIZENSIDEThe strong winds could cause problems for costal areas, on major travel routes like the A12 and A14, and on the trains Picture: GRAHAM CANNELL/CITIZENSIDE (Image: (c) copyright citizenside.com)

“It will become windy with strong westerly winds and gusts of 40-50mph widely, although some areas will see near 60mph gusts. Max temperatures of 9-11C.”

Highways England have tweeted today: “we are monitoring the Orwell bridge. The winds are currently at 36mph so it has not hit any threshold for it to be closed, we will be monitoring throughout the day and will keep everyone updated via Twitter.”

The strongest winds of Storm Hannah have been recorded in west Wales this morning, with winds of 82mph recorded in Aberaron.

Greater Anglia currently have a good service on all lines, but damage to overhead wires or branches blown onto the tracks could cause sudden and unexpected delays, so travellers are advised to leave extra time and travel with care.

The official advice from the Met Office for today’s yellow weather warning for wind says: “Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely, with potential for bus and train services to be affected. Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges are likely.

“Some short-term loss of power and other services is possible due to fallen trees and branches.

“It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities could be affected by spray and/or large waves.”