Expert warns to watch out for 'flying wheelie bins' as 50 mph winds batter UK

We should all be on the look out for flying wheelie bins this week, after an expert warned of the possible dangers posed by 50mph winds hitting the UK.

Brits can expect to experience freezing cold temperatures over the coming few days as the country is battered with strong gales, rain and snow.

With such strong winds, waste company boss Mark Hall says bins could cause "thousands of pounds" in damages and even prove "huge danger to life risk" in extreme weather.

Hall of Divert.co.uk, toldThe Daily Star: "We’ve all seen videos of bins being blown down the street during storms.

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"But what many people forget is that they’re heavy and can pack a real punch if they hit anything.”

He added: "The average empty domestic wheelie bin starts at around 10kg and goes up to 50kg for the commercial ones.

Bins could pose a serious threat in the extreme conditionsCreative Commons

"Despite their weight, in gale-force winds gusting up to 50mph those harmless bins become mini-missiles."

Up to four inches of snow is expected in some places. Northern England and Scotland will bear the brunt of the storms, while heavy rain is also expected in eastern and south-eastern England.

Hall’s advice? Make sure you secure your bins.

"Insurance companies –always looking to protect their bottom line – might not payout if you have not made a reasonable attempt to secure your bins,” he said.

"The nightmare scenario is your bin pummelling your neighbour’s brand new Tesla."

It comes after the Met Office issued a yellow snow warning for much of Scotland, a wind warning for the Western Isles and much of the mainland below Aberdeen. Northern Ireland is covered by a yellow ice warning.

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