Met Office urges all Brits to find two key items ahead of horror 80mph Storm Amy

As the UK braces itself forStorm Amy, the Met Office has urged Brits to make sure they have two essential items to hand.

Several weather warnings have been issued as the first storm of the season nears UK shores, where it's expected to make landfall this Friday.

Storm Amy, which is said to be developing "rapidly", brings with it "very strong winds and heavy rain" to "northern and western areas" of the UK, with gusts expected to reach 70 to 80 miles per hour in some places.

As warned today by Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree, "even stronger gusts" are expected "on exposed coasts and hills, mainly in the northwest".

With this in mind, people up and down the country have been warned to prepare themselves, taking heed of practical advice given by experts.

READ MORE: Storm Amy smashes UK with 9 cities forecast deluge in 600-mile wall of rain with major 70mph wind

According to official Met Office advice, a torch and a phone power pack are must-haves ahead of the brewing storm, which is expected to cause disruption on Friday and Saturday.

The Met Office said: "People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items."

You can currently purchase a weatherproof rubber torch for £3.15 from Amazon, which also sells a powerbank for £9.99. It's believed that potential power cuts could also affect other services, including mobile phone coverage.

Additional safety advice has also been issued, as citizens are warned that "injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible", with "large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts" also posing a potentially deadly threat.

The Met Office advised: "Prepare to protect your property and people from injury. Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them. Items include: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences."

The advice continued: "If you are on the coast, stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves. Even from the shore, large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

"Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly. When a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area."

The regions and local authorities affected are as follows:

Central, Tayside & Fife

• Angus

• Clackmannanshire

• Dundee

• Falkirk

• Fife

• Perth and Kinross

• Stirling

Grampian

• Aberdeen

• Aberdeenshire

• Moray

Highlands & Eilean Siar

• Na h-Eileanan Siar

• Highland

North East England

• Northumberland

North West England

• Blackpool

• Cheshire West and Chester

• Cumbria

• Halton

• Lancashire

• Merseyside

Orkney & Shetland

• Orkney Islands

• Shetland Islands

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

• Dumfries and Galloway

• East Lothian

• Edinburgh

• Midlothian Council

• Scottish Borders

• West Lothian

Strathclyde

• Argyll and Bute

• East Ayrshire

• East Dunbartonshire

• East Renfrewshire

• Glasgow

• Inverclyde

• North Ayrshire

• North Lanarkshire

• Renfrewshire

• South Ayrshire

• South Lanarkshire

• West Dunbartonshire

Wales

• Conwy

• Denbighshire

• Flintshire

• Gwynedd

• Isle of Anglesey

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

READ MORE: Top Tech: Shark autumn sale cuts hundreds off vacuum cleaners to rival Dyson and Amazon