75mph winds and heavy winds set to hit the UK has officially been named Storm Evert by the Met Office.

The Met Office said the newly named storm will bring “unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain”.

Warnings are in place for parts of the south of England and Wales, with warnings of possible damage to infrastructure and travel disruption.

Following a scorching heatwave with temperatures reaching 30C earlier this month thunderstorms have lashed down in parts of the UK, blighting hopes of a sunny start to the school summer holidays.

Forecasters announced Evert as the name for the storm on Thursday morning, advising the public to be “weather aware” ahead of its anticipated arrival later today and into Friday.

They predicted some coastal and hilly areas will see wind gusts of between 45mph and 55mph, rising to 65-75mph gusts across Cornwall.

The naming of Storm Evert comes on the day the Government announced that more than £860 million is to be invested in flood prevention schemes across the UK over the next year.

More than £860 million is to be invested in flood prevention schemes across the UK over the next year, the Government has announced.

The plan, which will benefit over 1,000 local schemes and help protect homes and businesses, is part of the coastal erosion investment plan, published on Thursday.

It comes as heavy downpours battered the country, causing disruption from Scotland to London with the Met Office putting both yellow and amber weather warnings in place.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the “record investment” would better protect 336,000 properties and reduce the national flood risk by up to 11% by 2027.

Recent severe flooding in European countries including Belgium, Germany and Italy has left hundreds dead.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “The tragic recent events in Germany and Belgium serve as a sobering reminder of how devastating flooding can be.

“It’s important we take action right across the system.

“Our comprehensive plan will achieve this by tightening planning procedures, helping more people access insurance and making homes more resilient to the effects of flooding.”

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Flooding has a devastating impact on people’s lives and that’s why we’re strengthening our guidance to ensure the measures are in place to protect our homes and businesses from the risk of flooding.

“Our planning reforms will ensure that communities across the country know that future developments will be safe from floods.

“This new guidance will help local communities become more flood resilient by providing local authorities with the right tools to consider how flood risk can be prevented when planning for new homes.”