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Weather warning: Surfer rescued as 60mph winds batter Wales

Weather Watchers/Ann 97 Rhosneigr, AngleseyWeather Watchers/Ann 97
High winds have begun hitting coastal areas of Wales, including at Rhosneigr on Anglesey

A surfer has been rescued after getting into difficulty off the Welsh coast as 70mph (112km/h) winds batter Wales.

The woman was unhurt after being pulled from the sea off Anglesey by lifeboat crews at about 19:30 BST on Thursday.

It comes as properties have had power cuts, travel has been disrupted and flood alerts are in place due to a Met Office yellow wind warning.

The "be aware" warning, forecasting strong gusts, covers most of Wales until 21:00 on Friday.

The M48 Severn Bridge between Chepstow and Bristol is shut in both directions while there are also restrictions on the Britannia Bridge between Anglesey and the mainland and the Cleddau Bridge between Pembroke Dock and Neyland in Pembrokeshire.

Adam Preddy Fire service attends after a roof is blown off at Park Street in BridgendAdam Preddy
The fire service was called when a roof was blown off at Park Street in Bridgend

A tree fell on the tracks at Quakers Yard near Merthyr Tydfil causing delays and cancellations for Transport for Wales services between Cardiff and Merthyr.

Some Irish Sea ferry crossings between Fishguard and Rosslare were cancelled.

There are a number of flood alerts across Wales as Natural Resources Wales has warned residents next to affected rivers.

Weather Watchers/Susy Aberdyfi, GwyneddWeather Watchers/Susy
Forecasters warn of 60mph winds on the Welsh coast like here at Aberdyfi in Gwynedd

Fire crews across Wales have dealt with more than a dozen calls on Thursday as roofs have been damaged by high winds while a marquee at a hotel in Caerleon, Newport, blew over.

Hundreds of homes were left without power in parts of south and west Wales, including almost 200 in Monmouthshire.

Western Power distribution said properties in areas of Bridgend, Caerphilly, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire were also affected on Thursday evening.

Mollie Macpherson Tree down at Cathays Terrace in CardiffMollie Macpherson
Trees have been blown down in the high winds, causing damage

Porthcawl RNLI said the highest wind speed it has recorded by their weather station was 62.6mph (100km/h).

Met Office A map showing most of Wales covered by the wind warningMet Office
The wind warning covers 19 of Wales' 22 local authority areas

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The Met Office said the weather was due to an "unusually deep area of low pressure for the time of year".

The warning covers 19 of Wales' 22 counties - Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan.