A rare red weather warning has been issued, with extremely strong and damaging winds possible this weekend.
The warning – the highest level – warns of dangerous and potentially life-threatening weather across 13 counties, as Storm Darragh arrives.
Gusts of 90mph (144 km/h) or more are possible over the coasts and hills of north, west and south Wales and are expected to develop during the early hours of Saturday morning.
An amber warning for rain has also been issued between 03:00 GMT and 18:00 GMT on Saturday, with as much as nine centimetres (90 mm) likely to fall.
The red wind warning covers counties including Monmouthshire, Cardiff and Carmarthenshire in the south, Ceredigion, and Gwynedd and Anglesey in the north west.
People are being told to stay alert for flying debris and falling trees, along with large waves hitting sea fronts, homes and roads.
Power cuts and travel disruption are also possible, the Met Office added, with the M48 Severn Bridge already closed in both directions.
The RNLI has advised those living near or visiting the Welsh coast to exercise “extreme caution”.
The red warning will last from 03:00 GMT until 11:00 on Saturday, while an amber wind warning is in place from 01:00 until 21:00 on Saturday.
A number of weekend events have already been cancelled ahead of Storm Darragh’s arrival.
Several parkruns, including those at Maesteg, Newport and Pontypool have been cancelled in anticipation, along with a running event in Pembrokeshire called The Narberth Nobbler.
Planned Christmas celebrations in Aberpennar and Mountain Ash in Rhondda Cynon Taf are also affected, as well as winter fairs in Raglan, Monmouthshire on Friday and in Bargoed, Caerphilly county, on Saturday.
The Christmas Fair at Llanerchaeron in Ceredigion will close on Saturday but will reopen on Sunday, subject to safety checks – as will the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire.
Cardigan’s Giant Lantern Parade on Friday has also been postponed.
