Glasgow and its surrounding areas are being urged to prepare ahead as Storm Brian begins to sweep across the country just days after Ophelia unleashed her destruction.

The Evening Times reported this week how heavy rain and gusts of up to 50mph are expected widely across the nation on Saturday, with winds set to reach up to 70mph in exposed areas down south.

Although the warning has been put into place for southern England and Wales, the Met Office has warned that Glasgow will not be exempt.

“An unsettled weekend and start to the week with showers or longer spells of rain and windy at times. Gales possible Saturday evening,” says the weather service of Glasgow and its surrounding areas.

Weather forecasters have described the system as a “weather bomb” because of incoming hurricane force gales.

Although not as strong as Ophelia, trees have already been weakened from that storm, with Brian expected to take over and uproot trees.

A Scottish Gas spokesman described how there are some “simple home maintenance tasks” Glaswegians are able to undertake in order to help avoid possible leaks, flooding, blocked drains, and draughts.

“This includes clearing drains and gutters, and checking radiators and insulation to keep warm,” he added.

Top tips on preparing for Storm Brian:

1. Bleed your radiators to make sure they are working properly

If your radiators have cold spots at the top, this means there is air in the system, so they will have to be bled to get them working efficiently.

To do this, turn the system off and - when cool - turn the radiator key until the air stops and water runs consistently. Once the system has been turned back on, the problem should be solved.

Cold spots in the bottom or centre of the radiator may be an indication of sludge build up and the need for system flushing.

Bleeding your radiator may result in pressure dropping. If you have a pressure gauge, make sure the boiler is at the right pressure and top up as necessary.

2. Block the breeze

Make sure all of windows and doors seal properly to stop warm air escaping. For those that don’t, fitting draught excluders, which you can buy from most DIY stores, is a quick and cheap way to cut down on energy bills.

3. Maintain drains

If you're trying to keep your drains outside well maintained, it's a good idea to make sure they are clear of debris at the point at which they enter the ground. This involves checking gullies for autumnal leaves and twigs in order to ensure they don’t restrict water flow at any point.

The Met Office said the southern and western coast of England will remain under a yellow weather warning for wind until midnight on Saturday, when the worst of the inclement weather will have lost potency and moved into the far north-easterly reaches of Scotland.

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said people should beware of venturing outdoors onto coastal walkways.

He said: “If you don’t need to be at the coast the best advice will be not to be there.

“We are concerned that there could be some flooding at the immediate coast but even without flooding there will be some very high waves.

“The best bet will be to stay safe and stay away.”

Network Rail said it was gathering extra personnel ahead of the weekend in anticipation of potential disruptions, and reminded passengers to check travel updates before setting out on their journeys.