Merseyside is bracing itself for winds of up to 70mph as part of Storm Aileen.
Amber weather warnings have been issued for the region by the Met Office ahead of forecast high winds and torrential rain on Tuesday evening.
A yellow warning was previously in place from 8pm until the early hours of Wednesday but has been upgraded due to the severity of the storm.
“Storm Aileen will bring a brief spell of very strong westerly winds with gusts of 65-75 mph during the early hours of Wednesday,” said a Met Office spokesperson.
“Longer journey times by road, rail and air are looking likely, with restrictions on roads and bridges. Damage to trees and perhaps buildings, as well as power cuts are expected.
“Flying debris and large coastal waves are possible, and these could lead to injuries.”
The adverse weather is expected to last until the weekend with the threat of localised flooding a possiblity following Storm Aileen’s arrival in the area.
High winds previously hammered Merseyside in February as part of Storm Doris, resulting in transport and businesses being brought to a near standstill.