Forecasters have issued new weather warnings for all of Wales as Storm Austen approached.

A second yellow warning has been issued covering north and mid Wales, along with an extension of the original warning, issued earlier this week.

Storm Austen is expected to hit Wales on Friday with winds of up to 70mph possible along the length of Cardigan Bay.

The first warning runs from midnight until 5pm on Friday says: "Strong west to northwesterly winds will spread across southern parts of England and Wales during Thursday night and into Friday.

"Gusts of 50-60 mph are likely and some coastal or exposed areas could see 70 mph or more, this more likely over parts of southwest England.

"Ahead of this, a spell of southerly winds with gusts of 50-60 mph will move east along the south coast of England during Thursday night.

"Winds will slowly ease during Friday afternoon.

"Strong winds will be also combined with periods of heavy rain making for difficult travel conditions."

A second warning has been issued for inland Wales from 10am until 9pm on Friday and says: "Whilst the winds across the warning area are not expected to be as strong as those further south and west, a spell of inland gales is possible with gusts around 45 to 55mph during Friday daytime.

"In combination with locally heavy rain and many trees still in full leaf, there is potential for some power outages and travel disruption."

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday. While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an Amber warning has been issued.

“Winds gusts could potentially reach 60-70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops.”

Winds will gradually ease through Friday afternoon and evening.

Looking beyond Storm Austen, the weather is expected to remain unsettled through the weekend and into next week. Another area of low pressure is likely to bring strong winds to northern parts of the UK during Saturday and Sunday, with the potential for further warnings.