Storm Antoni, the first the Met Office has named this season, has hit the UK, with forecasters warning that flying debris thrown up by strong winds could pose a danger to life. The highest wind gust recorded was in Berry Head (78mph) in South Devon followed by Cardinham (56mph) in Cornwall. The Met Office said these were both provisionally a new highest wind gust for August in those places. Forecasters issued an amber warning for potentially damaging gusts of wind in some areas of south-west England and south-west Wales until 7pm. There is a yellow warning for “unseasonably windy weather” in southern parts of the UK until 8pm, and one for unseasonably wet conditions. Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said 43mm of rain fell in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, which is almost half of August’s average rainfall. He added that Great Western Railway had warned passengers not to travel between Exeter and Penzance due to the number of trees which had fallen on the tracks, and a number of roads had also been blocked in Devon and Cornwall. “The rain is still ongoing at the moment, there’s still a fair bit of thunder and rain, particularly across northern England and East Anglia,” Partridge added. “There has been some localised flooding. The storm is going to clear through this evening, it will pretty much all be gone by midnight.” The Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said of the conditions: “For August this is very unusual. Effectively, the trees are in full leaf so are more susceptible to strong winds. Building structures, trees and temporary structures such as marquees may [not be] adequate. “Beach debris could be thrown from waves on to coastal roads, there’s a risk of dangerous tides, riptides and power cuts. Most travel disruption will be from [fallen] trees and branches.” Saturday would also feel “unseasonably chilly” with temperatures in some areas not rising above 15C, with highs of 19C or 20C on the south coast, Morgan said. A number of people have been evacuated from their homes in North Yorkshire due to flooding. Cleveland police said residents in Loftus and Carlin How were evacuated and the fire service and local authority are supporting those affected. Eight people were evacuated from their homes in Clontarf, Dublin, due to flooding. Several power cuts were also reported across Ireland, with hundreds of people in Carrigaline and Crosshaven in County Cork left without power on Saturday morning. Rod Dennis, of the RAC motor services company, said: “We expect Saturday to be the worst day on the roads of the summer so far, especially for anyone in the south-west of England – and that’s a lot of people, as our research shows it’s the most popular part of the country for leisure trips by car this year. “Conditions will be atrocious with a wholly unpleasant mix of very strong winds and locally intense rainfall. The best advice is to slow down significantly to stay safe and avoid exposed moorland and coastal routes until the storm passes. “Drivers towing caravans and trailers need to be particularly careful in these conditions and those with boxes and bikes on the roof should double-check they’re secured properly. Drivers should also watch out for fallen trees and be prepared for the disruption they cause.” The RAC estimates that about 4m cars will be using the roads for leisure journeys over the weekend. The organisers of the Brighton and Hove Pride parade said the weather would not stop this weekend’s celebrations. Revellers turned out to cheer on the event on the seafront despite the yellow weather warnings. Paul Kemp, the managing director of Brighton and Hove Pride, said: “We’ve encouraged people to wear ponchos, so it might be a little bit Glastonbury.” The adverse weather forced organisers of other outdoor events to cancel their plans. The LooseFest music festival in Newcastle, where 60,000 people were due to attend, was cancelled just before the gates opened as a result of safety fears. More than 80 artists including Craig David, Patrick Topping, Sean Paul and Example were scheduled to perform. Eliot Walker, organiser of the annual Dorset jazz festival Stompin’ On The Quomps, said he was “disappointed” he had to postpone this year’s event, which 10,000 people were expected to attend. Sunday is expected to be brighter and less windy, with temperatures up to 22C in southern England. Temperatures will start to rise next week, reaching a peak of 27C or 28C on Thursday in the south-east, highs that have not been seen in the UK since June, the Met Office said.