The M48 Severn Crossing will remain closed today, Saturday February 19, amid "forecasts of further high winds" across Wales.

The Severn Bridge was closed at 3am on Friday ahead of Storm Eunice and 'danger to life' warnings from the Met Office.

Some drivers faced a 90-mile diversion due to the closure of both the Severn Bridge and M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

National Highways promised the Severn Bridges would reopen “as soon as wind speeds reduce to a safe level” - and while the Prince of Wales Bridge is now open, the Severn Bridge is not.

National Highways visited the M48 Severn Bridge early on Saturday morning to conduct a detailed inspection in the wake of the storm.

With a further yellow weather warning issued for wind, inspectors said the Severn Bridge was not yet safe to reopen on Saturday, February 19.

When will the M48 Severn Bridge reopen? Status update

National Highways said: "The #M48 bridge will remain closed at this time, due to forecasts of further high winds. We apologise for any disruptions to journeys."

In another tweet, National Highways added: "We are using dedicated forecasts and monitoring equipment on the bridge, which are more useful than forecasts found in the media and wind speeds measured in neighbouring communities. We will update when we can and open the road when safe to do so."

M48 Severn Bridge diversions

The M48 Severn Crossing is closed in both directions between junction 1 for Aust and junction 2 for Newhouse.

The National Highways website reads: "During windy conditions the Severn Estuary can funnel strong gusts across the bridges, which can be hazardous to traffic.

"The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge has barriers which reduce the effects of these gusts. However, the older design of the M48 Severn Bridge didn’t include these barriers, and we sometimes need to restrict access to the Severn Bridge for the safety of our road users. When this happens, traffic is diverted on to the M4 Prince Of Wales Bridge."

Will the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge close today?

Despite the yellow weather warning, a spokesman for the Severn crossings confirmed the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge was fully open and expected to remain so.

What does a yellow weather warning mean for you?

There is a yellow weather warning in place for wind across parts of Wales and the south coast of the UK.

When areas are placed under a yellow warning, the Met Office says:

  • There is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close.
  • There is a small chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected.
  • Infrastructure recovery works resulting from Storm Eunice could also be affected, i.e. power cuts may be prolonged.