The Met Office has issued a red weather warning - the most severe level of threat - for ‘exceptionally strong winds’ of up to 100mph.
The rare alert, which was last issued 13 months ago, is in place for western parts of Wales and some north-western parts of England this evening.
The last red alert overall was issued in January 2013 for snow in the Welsh valleys, but the last red wind alert was in January 2012 for western Scotland.
Just 10 red alerts for all types of weather have been issued since the Met Office warnings system was revamped three years ago in April 2011.
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Coming to their aid: The Royal Engineers rescue residents in flood-hit Egham, Surrey
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Making a splash: Huge waves batter the seafront at Southsea, Hampshire
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Crash: A double-decker bus was teetering on the edge of a roadside bank after leaving the road between Falmouth and Truro in Cornwall after trying to avoid a fallen tree
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Gales: A woman battles the wind and rain as she walks past the flooded Severn in Worcester (left) while another woman struggles in the wind in Swansea, South Wales
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Smashed in: A fallen tree has trapped a man in his lorry cab on the A39 near Bridgwater in Somerset. The man is not seriously injured
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Coming in: This is the dramatic moment a FlyBe flight landed at Manchester Airport in gale force winds and the wing appeared to clip the ground
A wind gust of 110mph was recorded today from a ship south of Ireland, while on land 92mph was observed at Mumbles Head at Swansea Bay in Wales.
The Thames is predicted to rise to its highest level in more than 60 years in some places, and coastal areas could also be battered by large waves.
It comes as these flood and weather warning maps show the true extent of severe weather that has already struck Britain - and what is still to come.
Photographs also showed the terrifying moment a passenger plane came in to land in strong winds as one of the wings nearly touched the runway.
The Flybe twin-engine craft was coming in to land at Manchester Airport and was battered by winds of around 45mph.
The pilot was able to land the plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 model understood to have been coming from Waterford in Ireland, safely without any injuries.
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Severe weather warnings: These Met Office graphics show how high winds are forecast for today and tomorrow, with an red alert for wind out for the North-West today
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In profile: This graphic shows the areas along the River Thames, west of London, that have been affected by the horrendous flooding
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River Thames woes: Sixteen Environment Agency severe flood warnings - danger to life - remained in place in Berkshire, Surrey and Somerset this morning
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Highlighted: A Google Maps overlay of the flooded areas of Somerset as of today. The area is expecting a month's worth of rain in the next few days
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From above: This composite satellite image of data from the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites shows three storms approaching the UK as it continues to receive heavy rain
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Swirling: A satellite image shows the scale of the storm on the way to Britain (left), while a Met Desk graphic shows the UK gust speeds at 2pm today (right)
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Injury: A man is hit by a road sign which fell over on Westgate Street in Cardiff, as the bad weather continues
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Taking cover: Commuters battle through the wind and rain in Central London this afternoon
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Trying to hold on: One woman's umbrella looked like it was being battered by the wind and rain in Central London this afternoon
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Accident: A truck is seen after being blown off the road on the A628, Woodhead Pass, near Preston between Manchester and Sheffield
Meanwhile, Environment Agency staff were withdrawn from flood-hit area in Berkshire because of hostility from members of the public.
It is understood that staff were abused in the Wraysbury area of Berkshire, and have now been told to report any incidents to the agency.
The GMB union said the hostility was a ‘direct result of the irresponsible attack’ by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and others on the EA.
The Government's Cobra emergency committee convened this morning after David Cameron pledged ‘money is no object’ in providing flooding relief.
More than 130,000 people have now backed the Mail’s petition - which you can sign here - for Mr Cameron to use foreign aid cash to tackle flood crisis.
And the Prime Minister has warned that ‘things may get worse before they get better’, with hundreds of flood warnings and alerts still in force.
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No use anymore: A broken umbrella is placed in a bin as people struggled with the high winds in the centre of Swansea, South Wales
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Hold onto your hats: People battle against the wind in Southwark, central London (left), while the wind looked just as bad in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex (right)
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Unpleasant: Fierce winds hit Southwark in Central London today as people battled to hold onto their umbrellas, which were turning inside out
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Up above: This photograph from a drone at 350ft shows how floods have hit the town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire
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Well kitted out: Freddy, a boat owner, carries Foxy the dog through floodwater to dry land for a walk in Old Windsor, Berkshire
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Getting involved: Armed forces personnel pack and move sand bags at Wraysbury Primary School in Wraysbury, Berkshire
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Catch: Around 100 Royal Navy personnel from Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset, have been deployed to assist the mulit-agency flood relief effort
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Swimming along: A swan on a flooded field this morning next to the River Thames in Windsor, Berkshire
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Getting overcome: Lesley Webber, 52, with her friend Chris Napier, 44, outside of her home in the flooded village of East Lyng, Somerset
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Long battle: Mr Napier makes a call outside of the home of Ms Webber, in the flooded village of East Lyng, Somerset
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Under water: A rescue co-ordinator said morale and energy had been low in Wraysbury because the Berkshire village had been looking after itself for so long
Forecasters are warning that some of the strongest winds of the winter could hit today, with gusts of up to 100mph on exposed parts of the Welsh coast.
The storm could fell trees and cause transport and power disruption, with winds in the South West potentially reaching 80mph.
And there is continuing disruption to rail services in the Thames Valley and West Country. The Met Office also forecasts that yet more rain is on the way.
Up to 1.5in of rain will fall in southern and western areas, and 2.75in by Friday in the West Country, south Wales, western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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