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The biggest storm to hit Britain in 26 years will affect a bigger area of the country than first thought, forecasters said today.

The storm - with wind speeds of 90mph or more - will cross the southern half of Britain, rather than passing south of the country.

The Met Office issued an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", for the southern half of England and the southern half of Wales.

It gave a lesser yellow warning, meaning "be aware", for the rest of Wales and England up to the border with Scotland.

The storm, which is likely to be the worst of the year so far, will develop over the Atlantic tomorrow before bringing exceptionally strong winds to the land early on Monday.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: "We have been tracking the probable course of the storm, and we are tracking it further north than we had thought earlier. We have also revised the speed for gusts of wind up to 70 to 80mph inland, with the possibility of speeds in excess of 80mph in exposed coastal areas."

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She said there was the possibility of structural damage, trees and power cables coming down, and transport problems.

"We are expecting the storm to be in the early hours, and it is not yet clear how long it will take to cross the country. The rush hour will see the aftermath, with any damage, power and transport problems that have occurred."

The Met Office has already said that the storm is likely to develop in the west Atlantic tomorrow.

It is likely to intensify rapidly just west of the UK late on Sunday before tracking across England and Wales early on Monday.

Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

But this is expected to appear much closer to land, potentially moving across the country while in its most powerful phase.

A strong jet stream and warm air close to the UK are contributing to its development and strength.

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Darron Burness, head of the AA's flood rescue team, said: "If the predicted storm strikes, the timing couldn't really be worse, potentially causing significant travel disruption on Monday morning, which is one of the busiest times on the roads.

"Strong wind and torrential rain is an unpredictable and hazardous combination, which can be quite overwhelming when you're driving.

"There's likely to be tree and other debris on the roads as well potential flooding, so it's very important to keep your speed down and drive with great care, particularly on country roads early on Monday morning when it's still dark.

"Trees can partially fall too and hang above the road, sometimes above the sweep of the headlights, making them very difficult to spot.

"Don't gamble driving down flooded roads and think twice before crossing a ford. If you're using a sat-nav, be sensible and try to stick to the main routes where possible.

"If it's bad where you are, keep tuned to the weather and traffic reports - in case of road or bridge closures - and heed any local police advice about whether it's safe to travel.

"At a minimum, take a fully-charged mobile phone and warm, weatherproof clothing."

The AA's specialist flood rescue team, AA Special Operations, has been working all week and is geared up for a potentially very busy period. Its crews receive flood rescue and 4x4 training and drive modified Land Rovers.

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