Highways England has said it is on standby to close the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich as wind speeds pick up on Friday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/HighwaysEAST/status/1309464601021616134

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind for most of East Anglia, suggesting there could be disruption to travel.

Forecasters are predicting gales of up to 50mph this afternoon, which is close to the threshold of closing the Orwell Bridge.

MORE: More speed cameras to be added to Orwell Bridge

Highways England has said wind speeds are currently “on the cusp” of the threshold and contractors are standing by in case a closure is necessary.

Despite the rising wind speeds, the bridge is to remain open for the time being.

The gales are expected to be at their fastest between 2pm and 7pm, Highways England said.

Highways England said on Twitter: “We are keeping the bridge open but have our contractors on standby just in case the gust direction changes and therefore breaches threshold.”

MORE: Warnings of strong winds up to 55mph on Friday - Orwell Bridge being monitored