WEATHER warnings remain in place today for York and much of the country as Storm Lilian sweeps in.

As The Press reported first yesterday, Storm Lilian, could bring gusts of up to 80mph as millions prepare getaways for the August bank holiday weekend.

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Forecasters are advising those travelling to Leeds Fest to secure their tents and drivers to take care on the roads as Storm Lilian is set to surge through northern parts of Wales and England.

Meanwhile the Ebor Festival continues at York Races today and tomorrow so it could be a case of hang on to your hats for those venturing to Knavesmire.

The Met Office says there is the possibility of thunder, while 20-30mm of rainfall is expected widely across both areas – with a chance of 40-50mm over higher ground.

A yellow wind warning has also come into force covering northern England and north Wales until 11am on Friday, with the storm widely expected to bring gusts of 50-60mph in the region.

The official X account of the Met Office posted at 5am today (August 23) says: “Winds are now strengthening in many areas with the strongest winds occurring during the next few hours across northern England and north Wales.

“Damaging gusts are possible in places so ensure you stay #WeatherAware.”

Speaking about Leeds Fest Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “The wind will pick up in that area through the night, particularly strongest towards dawn and then first thing in the morning, before then easing through the morning.

“So there could be potentially some impacts from those strong winds, of 50 to 60mph in the area so it’s worth making sure your tents are secured.

“There could also be disruption first thing to the transport networks for those travelling first thing.”

Yellow warning for York and North YorkshireYellow warning for York and North Yorkshire (Image: Supplied)

Lillian’s influence would “wane” by Friday afternoon as it reduced in intensity and pushed off into the North Sea, with scattered showers for most of the rest of the day, Mr Dixon said.

After the possibility of some heavy showers early on Saturday, settled conditions were likely to develop across southern and eastern England and Wales with sunny spells and dry conditions mixed with the odd chance of scattered showers.

The North and North West would continue to see “a fairly unsettled weekend”, with various fronts moving in and bringing more persistent rain, particularly for parts of western Scotland and Northern Ireland, the forecaster said.

Temperatures will reach highs of 21C on Saturday and Sunday and 23C on Monday in the South East, slightly below average for the time of year.

The RAC estimated that 19.2 million leisure trips by car would be made over the weekend, with 3.2 million on Friday alone.

This is highest since the motoring services company began recording data for the summer bank holiday in 2015.

RAC Breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said the adverse weather and large volume of expected trips represented “a perfect storm” for drivers.

She said: “Anyone driving in areas impacted by Storm Lilian should try to avoid exposed coasts and higher routes where there’s a greater chance of fallen branches and trees. It’s vital to lower your speeds and leave plenty of extra stopping distance to allow yourself time to react quickly.

“Drivers should keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and take extra care when passing high-sided vehicles which can cause an unnerving buffeting effect when you’re suddenly hit by the wind on the other side.”

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “We are closely monitoring the potential impact that the storm might have on the rail network.

“We have teams on hand to put in appropriate measures, if necessary,  to ensure that we can continue to run trains safely and as reliably as possible.”

Lilian is the 12th named storm of the season – the furthest the Met Office have got through the list since it was introduced – and the first since April.