Storm Nelson hits UK with snow falling in Devon as 70mph winds to batter south coast

Heavy snow has fallen in parts of Devon as Storm Nelson hits the UK.

The Spanish-named storm is due to bring winds of up to 70mph to parts of England on Thursday, including 50mph gusts in London.

But residents in parts of Devon - braced for heavy rain and winds on Thursday - were shocked when heavy snow began falling on Wednesday night, just days before Easter.

The snow fell across a wide area of the county, including around the vast Dartmoor National Park in south Devon, and Exmoor in north Devon.

A thick blanket of the white stuff still lay on the ground on Thursday morning.

The forecast was set to turn much more wet as the day progressed, with the Met Office predicting heavy rain across Devon as Storm Nelson is due to roll in.

London is also set to be hit by heavy rain on Thursday, with winds reaching as high as 50mph as the afternoon progresses.

Meanwhile a yellow wind warning is in place across south Devon and rest of England’s south and south-west coast, from 7am to 6pm on Thursday.

The Met Office warns: “Gusts of 50mph are expected quite widely, while some exposed coastal spots may experience gusts of 60 to 70 mph, with large waves also likely.

“Strong winds and large coastal waves may lead to hazardous conditions.”

The alert stretches from the Eastbourne area in East Sussex, across the entire south coast to Penzance, also taking in the Isle of Wight and some of the north Cornish coast.”

A yellow rain warning is also in place across the eastern part of Northern Ireland, from 4am on Thursday to 3am on Friday.

The Met Office warns: “Heavy rain may bring impacts to travel and infrastructure”.