The Met Office has upgraded its warning of high winds to a red alert as “exceptional” 100mph gusts are forecast to batter some exposed areas of the coast in UK,

Northwest England and north and west Wales are in the firing line for the most ferocious winds, with speeds whipping up through the afternoon and early evening.

A ship off the south coast of Ireland has recorded a gust of 110mph, the Met Office tweeted.

People are being urged to “take action now” and avoid travelling due to possible widespread structural damage, fallen trees, power cuts and large waves.

A red alert also indicates a risk to life is likely.

Gusts up to 80mph are forecast for southwest England, with wind speeds at Plymouth reaching 81mph by midday. Mumbles Head, near Swansea, has recorded 92mph.

The storm is also sweeping over Ireland, with Status Orange warnings for many areas, including Dublin.

A fresh deluge of a month’s worth of rain is forecast for some areas by Friday night, heaping misery on communities already struggling with flooding.

Less serious “be prepared” and “be aware” warnings for snow, rain and wind have been issued for other areas of Britain.

Weather spezialists say “Winds will pick up dramatically this afternoon around the Irish Sea, west Wales and northwest England.

“Disruption across the Pennines later is more likely to be from the tricky mix of strong winds and heavy snowfall.”

David Cameron held a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee this morning as flood-hit regions in Somerset and the Thames Valley brace for another blast of bad weather. Another Cobra meeting will be held at 5.30pm.

It comes a day after the Prime Minister pledged “money is no object” in the effort to helping flooded communities recover.

Number 10 confirmed that Mr Cameron’s comments did not mean extra money would be found.

Fourteen severe flood warnings are still in place for the South East, close to the River Thames, with two further severe alerts for Somerset.

Windsor and Maidenhead and communities in Surrey are at high risk of flooding over the next two days, according to the Environment Agency.

More than 350 less serious flood warnings and alerts are in place for the rest of England.

Forecasters say 70mm of rain could fall by Friday night in the West Country, south Wales, western Scotland and Northern Ireland. Southern and western areas are expected to get 20-40mm.

Meanwhile, the public is being warned about the potential dangers of using private pumps to clear water.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said some people are not ventilating their homes properly and are in danger of inhaling dangerous fumes like carbon monoxide. Other residents are also allowing cables to sit in flood waters.

Around 1,000 homes have been reported as flooded over the past week, including 800 along the Thames.

Six hundred troops have been deployed to help protect properties against the floods, filling sandbags and helping get medical assistance to the sick. Another 1,000 remain on stand-by.

A new Cabinet committee is being set up to oversee the flooding recovery and a tax deferral scheme will help businesses hit by flooding.

Up to £10m in new funding will also be found to support farmers and grants for homeowners and businesses will be made available to improve flood defences.

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