Up to 17,000 residents in the west of Scotland were left without power on Wednesday morning as a "weather bomb" of wet and windy conditions battered parts of Britain with gusts expected to reach up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h).

Heavy rain and winds hit Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England overnight with an amber wind warning - meaning there was a potential risk to life and property - in place across Scotland's western Isles and northern Shetland Islands.

Britain's Met Office warned people to expect gales, storm force winds and large waves across several parts of northern and central Britain throughout the day.

"The public should be prepared for dangerous conditions, especially along causeways and coastal roads exposed to the west," it said on its website.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said its engineers were repairing the damage done in the Western Isles and are bringing two power stations on board with all customers expected to have electricity by lunchtime.

Britain has seen extreme weather conditions at this time of the year recently with tens of thousands of people across the country left without electricity on Christmas Day last year due to torrential rainfall and hurricane winds.

Weather bombs occur when storms quickly intensify and pressure drops rapidly.