Don't get used to it! Large parts of Britain will get brief snatch of summer and 77F heat today... before tail of Storm Ellen lashes UK with 50mph gales
Large parts of Britain will get a brief snatch of summer with temperatures of up to 77F today before the tail of Storm Ellen lashes the UK with 50mph gales.
The storm, which contains the remnants of Tropical Storm Kyle, moved in from the Atlantic on Tuesday night.
Winds of up to 66mph have been recorded at Pembrey Sands in Wales as Storm Ellen hit Ireland and western parts of Britain, the Met Office said.
The forecaster tweeted: 'Storm Ellen is currently bringing some unseasonably windy weather across the west with Wales having seen the strongest winds so far.'
Gusts of 89mph battered Roches Point at the entrance to Cork Harbour as Ireland bore the initial brunt of the freak weather which will sweep across the British Isles.
Footage on social media showed strong winds and sparking power lines in Cobh in Ireland, while West Cork TD Holly Cairns shared video of flooding in Skibbereen.
Earlier, people on camping holidays were warned trees could easily come down as parts of the UK braced for winds of more than 70mph to hit.
Millions who have taken UK breaks away from home continue to face torn-down tents, blackouts and travel disruption as winds, usually seen in winter, roll through.
Ellen, Britain's worst storm for six months since Storm Dennis on February 15, was shown arriving in dramatic satellite images and maps on Tuesday.
Large parts of Britain will get a a brief snatch of summer with temperatures of up to 77F today before the tail of Storm Ellen lashes the UK with 50 mile per hour gales. Left to right: Thursday, Thursday night, Friday
The 900-mile wide tempest whipped up 15ft waves and flooded roads as staycationers faced chaos amid the first-ever named storm to hit school summer holidays. Pictured: Staycationers from Co Tipperary on Tramore Beach, Ireland
The 900-mile wide tempest whipped up 15ft waves. Pictured: Pedestrians getting hit by a wave crashing on the Front Strand in Youghal, County Cork
Rain and poor visibility on the M25 motorway in Kent after Storm Ellen swept into the UK yesterday, promising a two-day deluge
People walking along the Millennium Bridge, London, under umbrellas as many parts of the UK continue to experience wet weather after the arrival of Storm Ellen
Dramatic satellite images and maps show 75mph Storm Ellen arriving yesterday
The West will continue to see the strongest winds over the next few days but gale-force 40mph gusts are also expected in parts of the East.
Yesterday surf towering more than 15ft was seen along the Cornwall coast and nearly 100 homes were blacked out by power cuts in the area as the Environment Agency warned of flooding.
A four-day buffeting of strong winds is expected to last until Sunday, with rain easing after today.
Ellen, which contains remnants of Tropical Storm Kyle, is the first storm named in school summer holidays by the Met Office or Ireland's Met Eireann since they began naming Atlantic storms in 2015.
Ellen is known as a 'weather bomb' by forecasters due to 'explosive cyclogenesis' seeing it strengthen as its air pressure plunges more than 24 milibars in 24 hours.
The storm's air pressure fell by 34mb to 965mb in the 24 hours to midnight on Tuesday, Met Office forecasts showed.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'Storm Ellen's very unseasonable conditions come with the tourist season in full flow and trees in full leaf.
'The low pressure is deepening, with warnings issued for winds of 70mph-plus in some exposed areas.
'It will be wet and windy on Thursday and Friday, with further strong winds and squally rain bands.
'And big waves will develop on some west coasts, combining with high tides.'
A Met Office forecaster said: 'Summer will be long forgotten as rain and wind sets in. It will feel much more like autumn.'
The Met Office has said: 'A 'weather bomb' is not a perfect meteorological term but is defined as an intense low pressure system with a central pressure that falls 24 millibars in a 24-hour period.'
The Environment Agency said: 'Local flooding is possible from surface water and rivers on Thursday evening in the South-West, and from large waves and high tides on Thursday and Friday in the South-West, Wales and North-East.
'Land, roads and some properties may flood and there may be travel disruption.' 
The Strand in Tramore, Ireland, was closed yesterday due to the extreme weather conditions as the storm swept across Ireland before dominating the UK for the rest of the week
Millions who have taken UK breaks away from home are facing torn-down tents, blackouts and travel disruption as winds, usually seen in winter, roll through. Pictured: People hide from the rain on a rowing boat on the river Thames in Windsor, Berkshire
A dramatic rescue operation was launched yesterday morning after a yacht was 'snapped' from its anchor and driven on to a West Country beach by the fury of Storm Ellen's howling 70mph-plus winds
One person was aboard and he was safely rescued following a joint operation involving an RNLI lifeboat crew from Penlee Station and the coastguard It comes after the Met Office warned we could see as much as 50mm of rain over higher ground, falling within the space of six hours.
Ellen has already devastated the UK, with a dramatic rescue operation launched yesterday morning after a yacht was 'snapped' from its anchor and driven on to a West Country beach by the fury of the tempest's howling 70mph-plus winds.
The Coastguard said the yacht was blown ashore from its anchorage out in the sea at Wherrytown, near Penzance, Cornwall. One person was aboard and he was safely rescued following a joint operation involving an RNLI lifeboat crew from Penlee Station and the coastguard.
Engineers were battling to restore supplies at properties near Falmouth, Par, Gunnislake and Porthleven.
As police warned the storm will turn roads into deadly skidpans, a driver was rescued when his car skidded and overturned on the A38 in Plymouth, Devon, this morning.
Another smash was reported on the B3285 at Goonhavern, Cornwall, and blown-down trees blocked roads at Liskeard and on the A380 Teignmouth Road in Devon.
The car park at the Tesco store in Truro has been turned into a lake by torrential rain.
A warning for gales also came into force at 8pm last night and will last across the whole of today with gusts of up to 65mph are forecast inland along with 70mph gusts along the coast.
Huge waves pounded exposed beaches facing the Atlantic in north Devon and Cornwall, sending beach-goers and walkers scrambling for cover, while tourists were warned not to stand on promenades or rocks taking selfies in the storm - or they could be swept into the sea and drown.
The Met Office says there could be increasing disruption to travel, debris on the roads and power cuts as trees crash across overhead lines.
Heavy rains are set to continue and a storm surge, spring tides and onshore winds may trigger coastal flooding.
The Met Office also issued a yellow weather warning for wind on Wednesday and Thursday which names western parts of Wales, south-west Scotland and all of Northern Ireland as being at risk of being hit by the strong winds.
Flooding on the A35 near Dorchester, Dorset, as Storm Ellen hit the south west of the UK yesterday, with carnage expected for the rest of the week
Heavy rains are set to continue and a storm surge, spring tides and onshore winds may trigger coastal flooding. Flooding on the A35 near Dorchester, Dorset
Flooded roads will turn into lethal skidpans and drivers taking blind corners could find huge trees lying across the tarmac, police warned
People walk in the rain on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, after Storm Ellen hammered the UK yesterday and is set to continue to do so for the rest of the weekThe stormy conditions represent a dramatic turnaround from the extreme heatwave experienced in Britain up until last week which saw temperatures of at least 93F (34C) for six days in a row for the first time on record.
Residents in Barnstaple, Devon, are still mopping up after torrential rain flooded shops and homes earlier this week.
Now they have been hit by another soaking after the latest storm tore a path across Ireland and slammed into the UK yesterday.
Most of the UK can expect strong winds and rain over the coming days, the Met Office warned.
Nearly 100 homes were blacked out by power cuts in Cornwall yesertday as Storm Ellen raced in. Pictured is a rain-soaked man walking through Looe, Cornwall
A yellow weather warning stretching from Cornwall to south-west Scotland was put in place yesterday predicting strong winds which could cause some disruption
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale said: 'Following the recent hot and thundery weather we are seeing a significant change to very unsettled conditions for August with an unseasonal spell of strong winds associated with low-pressure centres for the second half of the week.
'Uncertainty remains high in the intensity of these systems at this point, but we are confident in the change to a spell of much windier weather.
'Tropical air associated with a decayed tropical cyclone is being drawn towards the UK, and the marked contrast between this warm and moist air with normal North Atlantic airmasses can lead to a very vigorous system.'
He described it as a 'very vigorous' weather system that has been created by the warm and moist air from a decayed tropical cyclone with normal North Atlantic air masses.
Temperatures are set to be much lower than the last 10 days, which have seen 86F-plus heat in many places.
Parts of East Anglia could still see highs of around 82F on Thursday.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert said: 'Along with the sometimes heavy rain, strong winds have the potential to cause impacts that are not common in August.
Dark menacing rain clouds just miss the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset with sunbathers and holidaymakers watching on yesterday
'With this spell of unsettled weather coinciding with trees in full leaf and a peak in the camping season, wind-related impacts are more likely at lower wind speeds compared to other times of the year, particularly across Northern Ireland where winds are forecast to be strongest.'
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: 'This spell of autumnal-feeling weather is going to make driving conditions very unpleasant for a lot of us over the next few days.
'Strong winds will mean journeys by road will take longer than usual, and could be affected by fallen branches on the roads. Add in some very intense rainfall and drivers will need to take real care to complete their trips safely.
'We urge every driver heading out to make sure their car is up to the task to avoid a breakdown in the wind and rain, especially if they're towing or taking a longer trip – in particular check the condition and pressure of all tyres before setting out.
'When driving, slow down and pay close attention to high-sided vehicles and other drivers with caravans and trailers to give yourself plenty of time to react should any run into difficulties.'
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