The long period of calm October weather in Western and Central Europe is coming to an end, giving way to a full-blown autumn storm.

On Thursday, the conditions will mainly affect the regions from the Bay of Biscay across the English Channel to the North Sea.

Widespread gusts of wind are to be expected, and hurricane-force gusts cannot be ruled out on the coasts and in higher mountain regions in south-east England.

The storm will move to Denmark by Friday, and could be named as Storm Bram, becoming the second named storm of the season after Storm Amy in early October.