The first Met Office-named storm of the year, Storm Antoni, has caused strong winds and heavy rain across several parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, as the storm

system moves away, the UK can expect the weather conditions to ease.

During the storm, some areas experienced flooding, leading to the evacuation of residents, and major events like Brighton's Pride were also affected.

Thankfully, the yellow rain warnings in Northern Ireland and amber wind warnings in Wales and southwest England ended on Saturday. Additionally, the yellow warnings for thunderstorms in south-east England, including Brighton and London, are set to end at 22:00 BST, along with the yellow wind warnings in western areas like Cardiff and Bath.

According to the Met Office, the winds will gradually subside overnight into Sunday, with only a few lingering showers near coastal regions.

Storm Antoni arrived on Friday with gusts of up to 65mph impacting exposed coastal areas. The Met Office had issued warnings for areas including Plymouth, Bristol, Bath, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire, cautioning about potential danger to life from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads, and properties.

Cleveland Police reported that residents in Loftus and Carlin How, North Yorkshire, were evacuated due to flooding on Saturday. Authorities urged people not to travel to their relatives' homes or make unnecessary journeys.

Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington had earlier warned that the storm could bring potentially disruptive weather while moving from west to east. Northern Ireland experienced some of the highest rainfall totals, with 40-60mm falling in certain areas.

Despite the challenges posed by the storm and industrial action on the railways, Brighton's Pride festivities still took place. However, a Pride festival in Devon was scaled back due to concerns over strong winds, leading to the cancellation of a "rainbow village" with up to 80 traders, as the potential for "flying gazebos" posed a risk.

The storm's impact was significant, with the annual Stompin' on the Quomps festival in Christchurch canceled for the first time in its 30-year history. The event, which had an expected attendance of around 10,000 people on Saturday, fell victim to the storm worries. Photo by Adrian Platt, Wikimedia commons.