Britons were warned to brace for strengthening winds and lashing rain as Storm Franklin moved in overnight.

       Train operators have urged customers to "avoid travel if possible" on Monday as services are expected to be paralysed by gale-force winds and lashing rain.

       National Rail said anyone making essential journeys once services resume to expect "major disruption" to routes "across most of Great Britain" - including cancellations, delays and slower speeds onboard.

       This comes after the Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Northern Ireland and a milder yellow wind warning for much of the rest of the UK as Storm Franklin moves in.

       TransPennine Express (TPE) is strongly urging customers to "avoid travel if possible", particularly those planning to travel north of Preston in Lancashire before 10am.

       The forecaster warned that the south of the country will be particularly hard-hit by stormy weather during the morning rush hour.

       This comes after huge waves were seen crashing onto coastal areas, homes were destroyed by strong winds, and emergency services deployed flood defences along swelling riverbanks on Sunday.

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       The River Don burst its banks in the Sprotbrough area of Doncaster in South Yorkshire on Sunday night, and police have warned people to stay away from dangerous "fast flowing" water.

       South Yorkshire Police said: "We ask people to remain away from the area of Sprotbrough Falls and Sprotbrough Lock in Doncaster, after the River Don burst its banks in this location earlier this evening.

       "Many of the footpaths in this area are presently underwater.

       "The water is fast flowing and poses a risk to people attempting to wade through it.

       "Members of the public are being asked to remain away from the area at this time for their own safety. Thank you."

       National Rail said the following train operating companies will be affected:

       Avanti West Coast, c2c, Caledonian Sleeper, Chiltern Railway, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Heathrow Express, London Northwestern Railway, LNER, Northern, ScotRail, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Railway

       Traffic Scotland says motorists should consider increasing the 2 second distance rule to 3 seconds as winds can get under a vehicle and affect its handling and braking

       Train operators have warned customers to "avoid travel if possible" on Monday as services are expected to be paralysed by gale-force winds and lashing rain.

       National Rail has warned anyone making essential journeys once services resume to expect "major disruption" to routes "across most of Great Britain" - including cancellations, delays and slower speeds onboard.

       TransPennine Express (TPE) is strongly urging customers to "avoid travel if possible", particularly those planning to travel north of Preston in Lancashire before 10am.

       Speaking on Sunday evening, TPE operations director Paul Watson said: "Due to the impact of Storm Franklin, train services are disrupted along the West Coast Mainline.

       Great Western Railway (GWR) reiterated the same plea for customers to travel only "if absolutely necessary" as services are expected to be "significantly disrupted across the network" on Monday.

       Chiltern Railways says it will a slower service than normal with train speeds restricted to 50mph.

       National Rail said: "Please check before you travel if you plan to use train services today or on Monday.

       "The poor weather conditions may cause flooding, and any trees already weakened by Storm Eunice may fall down.

       "Where conditions worsen, speed restrictions could be put in place to ensure you can travel safely."

       An Amber warning means wind speeds could top 80mph in exposed coastal areas, but are more widely to stay between 60mph and 70mph

       Strong winds are forecast and will potentially disrupt train services across much of the UK

       Chiltern Railways says it will restrict train speeds to 50mph on Monday, meaning trains will run much slower than normal.

       The company warned: "In addition, there is a high possibility of unexpected or short notice disruption caused by trees or other debris being blown onto the railway lines."

       "Customers should only travel on Sunday evening and Monday if their journey is absolutely essential. "

       Eunice was one of the strongest storms to hit the UK in more than 30 years, with a gust of 122mph recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight.

       At least four people died in the UK and Ireland and more than a million homes were left without power.

       Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said last week marked the first time three named storms have been recorded within seven days since the storm-naming system began in 2015, with Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.

       She said there will "definitely be some impact" from Storm Franklin on Monday but it is not expected to be "as severe" as Eunice because the strongest winds will be confined to the coast.

       Colossal waves have been captured engulfing Newhaven lighthouse in West Quay, East Sussex, and Porthcawl Lighthouse in Bridgend, Wales.

       Gusts of 60-70mph are predicted to hit inland Northern Ireland in the early hours of Monday morning, while 80mph speeds are expected on the coast.

       Gales of up to 60mph are expected to sweep the rest of the nation.

       Firefighters from three locations were called to a street in Derby at 4.15pm after a roof blew off a terraced house, causing damage to five other properties.

       Huge waves were seen crashing onto coastal areas, homes were destroyed by strong winds, and emergency services deployed flood defences along swelling riverbanks on Sunday.

       The River Don burst its banks in the Sprotbrough area of Doncaster in South Yorkshire on Sunday night, and police have warned people to stay away from dangerous "fast flowing" water.

       South Yorkshire Police said: "We ask people to remain away from the area of Sprotbrough Falls and Sprotbrough Lock in Doncaster, after the River Don burst its banks in this location earlier this evening.

       "Many of the footpaths in this area are presently underwater.

       "The water is fast flowing and poses a risk to people attempting to wade through it.

       "Members of the public are being asked to remain away from the area at this time for their own safety. Thank you."

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