Hurricane Ian heading to South Carolina as death toll rises, with Britain braced for 75mph winds

30 September 2022, 13:08

South Carolina is braced for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, with Britain also expected to be hit with wild weather conditions as a knock-on effect.

The storm is expected to result in high winds and heavy rain in the UK, with high winds and heavy rain expected in the north west of the country, and the Scottish Western Isles likely to be hit hardest.

Rod Dennis, a spokesman for the RAC, has warned people to be ready for difficult road conditions, and said motorists "need to make sure they’re not caught off guard when this weather system sweeps in".

Other forms of transport will also be affected with warnings for wind and rain given by the Met Office for large parts of Scotland, including Glasgow and the Shetland Islands.

Read more: Hurricane Ian heads for Carolinas after pounding Florida

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Buses and trains in these areas will probably be affected and flooding and spray could hit roads.

However, the weather won't match the devastation seen in the United States, which saw people trapped in flooded homes and buildings shattered.

The hurricane hammered Florida earlier in the week, killing at least 12 people, though this figure is expected to rise in the coming days.

It then hit Cuba, where at least two people were killed, and had moved over Florida into the Atlantic by Thursday.

But it then turned back towards the mainland of the US, putting South Carolina and Georgia under threat.

Forecasters say it will hit the southeastern state of South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane today.

President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for the area, a necessary step to speed up federal assistance to help communities recover once the storm has abated.