Gusts of more than 50mph could hit parts of the county this week as the newly-named Storm Francis looms.

Forecasters have said northern parts of the Norfolk, particularly the coastal areas around Sheringham and Weybourne may see northwesterly winds of “between 50 and 55mph” in the later parts of Tuesday.

Norwich-based service Weatherquest is forecasting strong winds across the next 48 hours, as the country battens down the hatches for Storm Francis, which was officially named by the Met Office today.

However, while other parts of the United Kingdom are expecting gusts of up to 70mph, speeds in Norfolk are predicted to be slightly lower.

Phil Garner, a forecaster at Weatherquest, said: “Today there may be a few showers but we expect it to get out a bit later and winds won’t be too bad. It will be quite windy with gusts of around 30 to 40mph.

“However we think they will be a lot stronger tomorrow with speeds of around 50 to 55mph in some parts of the county.”

Mr Garner added that the strongest gusts forecast will be a long way out of Norfolk, mainly in parts of Wales and Ireland.

He said: “Fifty to 55mph is still considerably strong and people need to be aware of potentially damaging winds and act accordingly.

He said Wednesday would also see fairly strong northwesterly winds, while Thursday will be quite windy with showers before the weather calms back down on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Met Office has placed a yellow weather warning in place for wind particularly over Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

The warning reads: “Storm Francis will bring some very strong winds leading to disruption to travel and power supplies along with potential damage to trees.”