SEVERE winter storms loom on the horizon after an autumn of misery.

Winds reaching 70 mph are forecast to hit Swin-don again today and will continue overnight and into Friday morning.

Weather warnings for severe disruption were issued today just a month after storms battered the West .

Sean Clarke, of the Met Office, said: "It is likely that some structural damage will occur, like slates coming off roofs and some trees being knocked down."

There are also all the ingredients for more flooding with storm fronts and high river levels.

Around 12mm of rain is predicted to fall on areas where the ground is still saturated from the autumn.

In regions west of Swin-don a General Flood Watch is in force.

Swindon suffered through the autumn with storms raging across the region.

On October 30 gale force winds of up to 90mph and driving rain resulted in all trains across the South West being cancelled.

Acres of countryside were flooded including farmland around Crick-lade and Swindon's Front Garden.

Roads were blocked by fallen trees and a section of Arkell's Stand in the County Ground was blown off by high winds.

Inigo Wilson from the Environment Agency said: "There are possibilities of flooding with the storm front we've got at the moment. If you are in areas where there is ground water it's important to be aware of heavy rain forecasted".

The weather should settle down next week with high pressure coming over from the Atlantic.

However, this will be a short respite as the weather is set to remain mild and unsettled until Christmas with more rain than snow.

If you are concerned about flooding in your area you can call Flood-line on 0845 9881188 for information concerning your immediate area.

Alternatively, you can also access flood information on line at www.environment-agency.gov.uk where you will able to see floodplain maps for specific postcode areas.