Weather warnings for wind and rain have been issued for parts of England and Wales for New Year’s Eve, with revellers urged to pack a rain jacket for the countdown.

Exposed coasts and hills on the southern coast of England and in South Wales will continue to be battered by strong winds, the Met Office said.

The highest recorded wind gusts so far on Sunday were 74mph on the Isle of Wight, 64mph at Mumbles near Swansea, and 62mph on the Isles of Scilly.

Wind warnings are in place until midnight on Sunday, with some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport possible, the forecaster said.

A yellow rain warning has been issued for an area of the North West which includes Manchester, Blackburn, Burnley and Blackpool from 6pm on Sunday until 6am on Monday, with 30-40mm possible locally.

Strong gusts will also drive squally showers across the area, bringing hail and the risk of thunder.

Meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said showers in these areas will start to “band up”, becoming more frequent.

“There’s potential for 10-20mm widely, and 30-40mm in some areas over the 12-hour period,” he continued.

“It has been quite wet so the ground is already saturated.

“We could see some difficult driving conditions for those who are out and about for New Year’s Eve. Some bus and train services could be affected.”

For most other parts of the UK, the rain will be less persistent but the threat of showers during the countdown to the new year remains.

Scattered, blustery showers are expected to develop across the country, possibly thundery along southern coasts, but some brighter spells are possible between showers.

“Elsewhere tonight it will be showery, so it’s worth taking a rain jacket with you,” Mr Vautrey added.

The driest and brightest weather will be across parts of mainland northern Scotland.

For those planning a New Year’s Day swim, sea surface temperatures around the UK are unlikely to rise above 10C, the Met Office said.