A WEATHER warning for very strong winds has been upgraded to amber for part of our region, as the area braces itself for Storm Ciara tomorrow (February 9).

This afternoon, the amber warning area covered the whole width of England and Wales just below York, and included Selby, Sherburn-in-Elmet and Goole, as well as part of the north-west region.

A yellow warning for wind still covers the York area and the whole of the country.

Storm Ciara could bring gusts of more than 50mph to York in the morning.

Meanwhile, a yellow warning for rain just covers York and a large area west of the city.

The amber warning for wind is in place from 8am to 9pm tomorrow, and the yellow warning for rain runs from midnight tonight until 6pm tomorrow.

Forecasters say Storm Ciara is likely to cause disruption to travel tomorrow, with heavy rain causing some flooding in places.

Speaking about the amber warning, a spokesperson for the Met Office said: "Flying debris could lead to injuries or danger to life "Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, expected."

The spokesperson said expect longer journey times, as road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, and some roads and bridges may be closed.

They said expect power cuts with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

There is also a risk of injuries and danger to life from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.

Regarding the yellow warning for rain, a Met Office spokesperson said: "Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

"Fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life.

"Delays or cancellations to train and bus services are possible.

"Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

"Some communities may be cut off by flooded roads."

Rail customers are being advised not to travel tomorrow because of Storm Ciara.

A spokesperson for London North Eastern Railway (LNER) said: "Very high winds are forecasted across the UK on Sunday. We are expecting this to cause significant disruption to LNER services and we will be running a reduced timetable. We are advising you not to travel on Sunday.

"Customers with LNER tickets dated for travel on this date, will be able to use their tickets to travel on any LNER train today (Saturday 8th February) before 18:00 or Monday 10th February. If you choose not to travel, you will be entitled to a full refund."

Grand Central will not be running any services tomorrow due to the severe weather warnings.

The operator said customers with tickets to travel with Grand Central this weekend were advised to travel on either Saturday or Monday and their ticket for Sunday will still be valid on Grand Central services. There will be no ticket acceptance available with other train operators.

Passengers who do not wish to travel can claim a full refund from their point of purchase.