Met Office issues yellow warning for strong winds in the Highlands ahead of the arrival of Storm Dennis; forecasters warn that it could become one of the deepest Atlantic low pressure systems of the modern era

THE Highlands are bracing for further extreme weather this weekend – with the arrival of Storm Dennis amid warnings it could become one of the deepest Atlantic lows of modern times.

Air pressure at the heart of the storm is expected to drop sharply over the next 24 hours ahead of its arrival in the UK over the weekend.

And the current prediction of just 917mb is only 3mb higher than the all-time record low.

This is likely to spell strong winds, and a 24-hour long Met Office yellow warning for "very strong" gusts and transport disruption is set to come into force across the Highlands at noon on Sunday.

The warning, which expires at midday on Monday, is part of a wider alert across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern counties of England.

There are also several amber warnings in place for torrential rain in parts of Wales and England.

"Storm Dennis has the potential to bring very strong winds and transport disruption during Sunday and Monday morning," said a Met Office spokesman.

"Delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are possible and there is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close.

"Some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities are likely to be affected by spray and/or large waves

"There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs

"There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage."

The Met Office's website has the latest weather warning updates.

- Click here to read more news from The Inverness Courier.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.