Forecasters say damage to buildings is possible, with ‘a small chance of injuries and danger to life being caused by large waves’ as Storm Benjamin approaches the UK

Storm Benjamin has already hit 100mph as parts of the UK prepare for powerful gales and up to four inches of rain today.

The top wind speed was recorded overnight in Fécamp, northwest France, with the storm since having unleashed rush hour disruption across the south of England.

The Met Office has issued four yellow weather for wind and rain covering the majority of the Southeast of England and the East of England. The largest warning – for rain – covers most of England and Wales, including York in the north, Cornwall in the south and Swansea in the west.

Flooding, power cuts and travel chaos is likely as the remnants of Storm Benjamin sweep across the UK.

National Rail have issued a reminder to passengers this morning to “take care when travelling” today, with accidents on the network spiking during previous storms.

There may also be delays and cancellations to services, a spokesperson said, though disruption appears to be limited so far today.

How to prepare for the storm

According to the Met Office, you should do the following to prepare for a storm:

Secure loose objects such as ladders, garden furniture or anything else that could be blown into windows and other glazing and break them
Close and securely fasten doors and windows, particularly those on the windward side of the house, and especially large doors such as those on garages
Park vehicles in a garage, if available; otherwise keep them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences
Close and secure loft trapdoors with bolts, particularly if roof pitch is less than 30C
If the house is fitted with storm shutters over the windows then ensure that these are closed and fastened
If chimney stacks are tall and in poor condition, move beds away from areas directly below them

The Met Office has issued guidance over what to do in a storm (

shes high waves

Pictures from southwest France earlier this morning show high waves brought on by Storm Benjamin – and we’re seeing similar scenes along the south coast of England, as the area of deep low pressure moves northwards.

A woman takes pictures of waves as Storm Benjamin causes ‘strong gusts’ in Lacanau, south-western France 

Emergency services ‘fully mobilised’ in France

In France, where Storm Benjamin has arrived first, the interior minister Laurent Nunez has confirmed a major emergency services response is underway across “multiple regions”.

He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Since this morning, the storm Benjamin is already affecting several regions.

“The emergency services are fully mobilised.

“I am closely monitoring the situation and urge everyone to exercise caution, particularly when travelling, and to follow the authorities’ instructions.”

Wet weather hits London ahead of rush hour

Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians attempted to navigate a partially flooded section of road near Euston Station in central London this morning as Storm Benjamin arrived in the UK.

It’s likely to be a tricky rush hour across much of the south of England, with yellow weather warning for wind and rain now in place.

Storm Benjamin reaches 100mph in France

The storm has hit France first, where wind speeds reached a powerful 160 kmh (100mph) overnight in Fécamp, a coastal town on the English Channel.

Today’s forecast from the Met Office as Storm Benjamin moves in

Today, persistent rain at times across England and Wales only slowly clearing into the North Sea. Scattered showers elsewhere some heavy and thundery. Widely windy, with severe gales possible along eastern coasts and possibly some western coasts. Feeling colder.

Tonight, rain in the far east slowly clearing, though continuing in parts of eastern Scotland. Showers also in the west, but drier elsewhere with some clear spells. Winds slowly easing.

Tomorrow, Cloudy in the east with outbreaks of rain in northeastern Scotland. Elsewhere, variable cloud with sunny spells and some showers, some heavy in the southwest. Blustery winds and feeling cold.

Plenty of rain to come today

Even for those outside the weather warning areas, today is set to be a wet one – with just a few areas to the far north staying dry.

The heaviest downpours are expected in East Anglia and south Lincolnshire, where the Met Office says there could be isolated rainfall totals of 60-90mm (2.3-3.5in).

Is it Storm Benjamin or Storm Bram?

As forecasts began to show signs of a deep area of low pressure moving across the Atlantic this week, speculation had grown that this weather front would become Storm Bram – the second named storm of the season, after Alice earlier this month.

All the upcoming names for storms are listed by the Met Office at the beginning of each storm season.

But because this storm made landfall across the Channel first, it has been named Benjamin by Météo France, according to their own naming system.

New Met Office map shows Storm Benjamin sweeping across Britain

A new forecast map from the Met Office this morning shows two distinct weather fronts brought on by Storm Benjamin this morning – one centred over East Anglia and the southeast, and another moving to the northwest of the British Isles.

Storm Benjamin is visible on Met Office weather maps this morning