THE Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Cornwall and the south west with winds up to 60mph due to hit the coastal areas first thing today.

The warning is valid from 9am on Tuesday until 7pm on Tuesday.

Southwesterly winds will gust to over 50 mph at times in parts of southern England and south Wales, and to 60 mph in some exposed coastal sites. The public should be aware that these gusts may cause minor damage to trees, and make travel tricky for the likes of towing vehicles.

The Chief Forecaster's said: "A rather deep and complex area of low pressure will bring windy conditions widely on Tuesday, but these winds will be strongest near the south coast in the morning, then more generally across south west England and parts of South Wales later in the day. Such winds would be quite normal in winter but rather less so (though not exceptional) in May, and with trees well into leaf now, and some extra holiday traffic around, some minor impacts are likely."