Widespread weather warnings have been issued as a so-called "weather bomb" is set to batter parts of Britain.

Winds of around 80 miles per hour are expected to hit the UK this evening, with severe gales expected across north Wales, Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland for about 48 hours.

The Met Office issued yellow "be aware" warnings for most of the country and has now upgraded them for the west coast of Scotland, the Highlands and islands and Northern Ireland to amber "be prepared" warnings.

The rapid cyclogenesis - known colloquially as a ''weather bomb'' - is a deep low pressure system moving slowly eastwards between Scotland and Iceland.

Ferry services in Scotland have been already been disrupted by the weather and the winds are expected to whip up unusually high waves, with sea swells of up to 12m in parts.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has eight flood alerts in place for the west coast.

The Forth, Kessock and Skye bridges have been closed to high-sided vehicles because of the rising wind speeds.

More southerly areas of the country are likely to be hit by a second storm due to roll in from the Atlantic Ocean on Friday.

The Met Office warnings for wind from tonight run through tomorrow and into Thursday morning, extending by that stage to cover the whole of the UK.

Forecaster Kirk Waite said some parts will have ''a brief respite'' for a time on Thursday before the second weather system develops in the south-west of the country.

The Met Office has yellow warnings for snow in place for the Borders and east coast of Scotland

Much of Scotland has already seen snowfall and Mr Waite said heavy rain ''could lead to some potential issues where snow already there could melt''.

''The weather warning from 2100 on Tuesday to 0600 on Thursday covers the risk of gusts between 60 and 70mph, and 70-80mph in exposed areas,'' he said.

''Wintry showers moving through Scotland could lead to some very difficult conditions, even isolated blizzard conditions.''

Temperatures over the next few days will not be below average for the time of year, according to Meteogroup forecaster George Goodfellow - but the brisk winds will bring a distinctive chill to the air.

''We are looking at highs of up to 12 degrees in some western areas today, and even 10 degrees in the south east tomorrow, but the strong winds will make it feel fairly nasty,'' he said.

''Temperatures will be around one degree in parts of the Highlands in Scotland on Wednesday night.''

Councils insisted they are prepared for the plunge in temperatures, with gritters "out in force" and depots filled with around 1.3 million tonnes of salt.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said nearly all town halls have topped up their salt supplies after last year's mild winter meant less grit than usual was needed.

A survey of council highway teams across England and Wales found 91% of local authorities have maintained or increased salt stock levels this winter.

Councils will also deploy new technology to cope with sub-zero conditions. Quad bikes will be used to grit pavements and town centre footways and GPS technology will help guide gritters to the most important routes.

In many areas residents will be able to access salt from community grit bins while volunteers will help staff keep roads and paths clear of snow and ice.

Councillor Peter Box, transport spokesman at the LGA, said: "Local government funding has been cut by 40% and pressure on vital services continues to grow.

"However, preparing for winter remains a top priority and that is why councils have stockpiled 1.3 million tonnes of salt and are ready to deploy a fleet of state-of-the-art gritters.

"Highway teams are constantly monitoring up-to-the-minute weather reports to stay one step ahead of the weather and gritters are out treating roads with temperatures dropping below freezing overnight.

"Keeping the country moving during winter will be a community effort as always with thousands of grit bins filled and volunteers recruited to help people clear pavements, paths and side streets when needed."

He also urged people to keep an eye on elderly and vulnerable neighbours or relatives during the colder months.

"Calling in on someone who may be unable to ask for help can make all the difference," Mr Box said.