Winds of up to 75mph are set to lash parts of the South West as Storm Evert hits the UK on Thursday and Friday.

The Met Office said the newly named storm will bring “unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain”.

Warnings are in place for parts of the south of England and Wales, with warnings of possible damage to infrastructure and travel disruption.

Coastal gales and rain are set to move into southwestern UK from Thursday evening.

There are fears the summer storm’s high winds could take drivers by surprise and make conditions on roads hazardous.

Met Office principal operational meteorologist Dan Suri said, “Storm Evert will bring some high winds, particularly along the northern coast of the South West, but there will be gusty winds more widely in southern areas, which brings the potential for some impacts, especially for those that might be travelling or camping in the weather.

“Storm Evert will move eastwards across southern UK during Friday daytime, clearing into the North Sea during Friday evening.

“As well as the high winds, there will also be some heavy rain before it leaves our shores, with up to 40mm possible over parts of Wales and the South West and the potential for 40 or 50mm rain in a short period of time from heavy, possibly thundery, showers over parts of eastern and central England on Friday afternoon.”

The low pressure system is moving in from the west on Thursday evening, with the highest winds expected to be over parts of Cornwall during the early hours of Friday, when gusts could reach as high as 75mph in the most exposed areas.

Other coastal areas in southern parts of England and Wales will also see high gusts, mainly between 40 and 60mph, and this brings with it the chance for some travel disruption and damage to temporary structures, the Met Office said.

The high winds will be accompanied by some rain at times, with the wettest weather on Thursday night expected over parts of Wales and south-west England, with the heaviest rain then moving eastwards on Friday as parts of eastern, southern and central England then get the wettest weather, including a risk of thunderstorms in a few places during the afternoon.

Forecasters announced Evert as the name for the storm on Thursday morning, advising the public to be “weather aware”.

The naming of Storm Evert comes on the day the Government announced that more than £860 million is to be invested in flood prevention schemes across the UK over the next year.

Evert is the first storm to be named in the month of July by the Met Office’s storm naming group, although named summer storms are not unprecedented.

In 2020, Storm Ellen hit from August 19 to 20, before Storm Francis moved over the UK on August 25.

Meanwhile, RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “The arrival of a summer storm to the South West could take drivers – and indeed all holidaymakers in the region – by surprise.

“The sheer strength of the wind coupled with huge volumes of traffic will make driving conditions hazardous, particularly for those towing caravans and trailers.

“We strongly recommend drivers check over their vehicles before setting out – ensuring roofboxes are firmly secured and try to avoid exposed coastal and moorland routes where the impacts of the wind on driving will be the greatest.

“Drivers should reduce their speeds accordingly to help ensure they complete their journeys safely.”