Storm Ciarán, dubbed a “danger to life,” is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK.

Strong winds and a lot of rain are predicted for Storm Ciarán to hit the UK on Thursday, with amber weather warnings indicating a “danger to life.”

There are two amber warnings in effect for a portion of the English south coast on Thursday. Additional yellow rain warnings, the lowest category, indicate that there may be some disruption in the works. Operators have warned passengers that there will be disruptions to trains travelling between Scotland and England.

From Thursday through Saturday, after 10:30 a.m., there will be no LNER service operating in either direction between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. From 3 p.m. until the end of business on Friday, the operator will operate hourly services between Newcastle and Edinburgh. There will be speed limits on the route, so there could be a 40-minute wait for services. While most ScotRail services will remain unaffected, certain regions may experience delays due to Network Rail’s speed restrictions, which are being implemented throughout Scotland.

There may be delays in TransPennine Express services between Newcastle and Edinburgh as well. Passengers are advised to check their routes before leaving. Oliver Claydon, a spokesman for the Met Office, stated that the storm was “forming as we speak” and that it will make landfall on Wednesday night with gusts along the coast reaching 70 to 80 mph with the possibility of 85 mph. It is advised that people avoid going near the water’s edge because of “extremely dangerous conditions.” Jersey Met has issued a red wind warning, the highest level, for Wednesday evening into Thursday. The warning cautions people against going outside due to predicted gusts of nearly 100 mph.

Flooding has already occurred in Northern Ireland, for which the Met Office issued a yellow rain warning that lasted until Wednesday morning at nine in the morning. Similar notices have been issued for southern parts of England and Wales from 6 p.m. on Wednesday until the end of Thursday, and for portions of south-west, central, and eastern Scotland from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Starting at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and continuing through Thursday, there is a yellow wind advisory in effect for southern England and portions of south Wales.

“Significant flooding” could occur, according to Environment Agency flood duty manager Kate Marks. She urged people not to drive through floodwaters and to avoid areas where rivers are swollen, as even 30 centimetres (1 foot) of flowing water is sufficient to move a car. By eleven a.m. on Wednesday, the Environment Agency had issued 116 flood alerts, including 24 warnings about flooding in England.