Yellow warnings for wind and heavy rain have been issued for much of Wales and southern England as Storm Herminia hits parts of the UK.

The Met Office says Herminia – first recorded in Spain and France – brings with it the possibility of damage and disruption, days after Storm Éowyn left two people dead when it battered the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Strong winds and thunderstorms on Sunday and overnight have already brought power cuts to thousands across south-west England, where there have been reports of flooding.

Rain is also forecast across many parts of the UK on Monday, but there is particular concern in parts of Wales where the ground is very saturated.

A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind is in place across southern England and much of Wales until 06:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Heavy and thundery showers are also forecast to continue in southern England, where forecasters warn there could be some flash flooding. A further yellow warning – this one for rain – is in place until 10:00 GMT tomorrow.

Gusts are expected to reach 70mph or more around exposed coasts, while areas inland can expect wind up to 50mph.

This could cause damage to buildings, such as tiles coming off roofs, and cause disruption to transport, according to the weather warning.

National Rail is advising commuters to check before they travel – specifically for those using ScotRail, Transport for Wales and CrossCountry.

Storm Herminia was named by the Spanish weather service Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (Aemet) on Friday. Heavy rains and wind battered the north of the country, with gusts exceeding 62mph being recorded.

Meanwhile, floodwaters caused by the storm left cars and buildings submerged in western France.

A British sailor is also missing off the French coast after his yacht was found “eviscerated”, French authorities said.

Herminia is not powerful enough over the UK to be officially classed as a storm by the Met Office – unlike the far more powerful Éowyn, which left a trail of destruction and disruption after causing several rare red weather warnings.

The Met Office said Éowyn was “probably the strongest storm” to hit the UK in at least 10 years.

Two people were killed on Friday after trees fell on their cars. A 19-year-old died in East Ayrshire, Scotland while a 20-year-old man was killed in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland.

Thousands of properties across the UK were still without power on Sunday after Éowyn caused widespread damage to electricity infrastructure in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Around 65,000 homes and businesses are still without power in Northern Ireland, but supply has been restored to 220,000 customers so far, NIE Networks confirmed.

Ten schools in Northern Ireland remain closed on Monday due to storm damage, with around 80 schools still without power.

At the storm’s height, nearly a million properties were without power across the British Isles, while many road and railways were blocked.

Additional reporting by Vicky Wong