Storm Franklin, set to strike the UK just days after the destructive force of Storm Eunice, brings with it hundreds of flood alerts, including two in Somerset.

Yellow warnings for wind are in place from midday today until 1pm on Monday.

Storm Dudley also hit parts of the UK last week, and meteorologist Becky Mitchell said three named storms in such quick succession is a first since the system was introduced seven years ago.

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She told the PA news agency: “This is the first time we have had three named storms within a week, and we started the storm naming system in 2015.

“At the moment we’ve got a really active jet stream, which is why we’re seeing so many storms track right towards the UK.

“We had Dudley on Wednesday, Eunice on Friday and Franklin today.”

Winds up to 70mph in coastal areas

Strong winds are also expected in England and Wales on Sunday afternoon, with 60mph gales predicted inland and 70mph in coastal areas.

Ms Mitchell said although this week’s weather “cannot be attributed specifically to climate change”, the warming of the planet is causing “more intense and more frequent winter storms in the UK”.

Flood warnings

The Environment Agency has issued 88 flood warnings where “flooding is likely” for locations mainly in the north and west of England, and 137 alerts where “flooding is possible” for the north-western half of the UK, London and the south coast.

Natural Resources Wales has issued 18 flood warnings and 35 alerts covering much of the country.

Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We are urging people to remain vigilant and take extreme care following the impacts of Storm Eunice, and with a further storm, Franklin, on the way.”

Flood warnings for Somerset

A Flood Alert for possible flooding on the Somerset coast has been issued for Dunster Beaches, Blue Anchor, Steart, Stolford and Brean.

Where flooding is likely, the Environment Agency has also issued a Flood Warning for Porlock Weir.

They are expecting large and powerful waves, with associated sea spray, as a result of high tides and continuing strong winds.

The first forecast high water is 9pm today. The second forecast high water is 9.45am on Monday.

Flooding to roads and farmland is possible at these times, however, conditions may also apply one to two hours either side of the high tide.

It is thought coastal conditions should ease for Monday's high tide at 10pm.

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Environment Agency incident response staff are closing flood gates in these areas and continue to closely monitor the situation.

They are urging people to be careful along beaches, promenades, coastal footpaths and roads, and stay aware in case further warnings are issued.

The Environment Agency are encouraging people to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation. You can also call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates.