Cheltenham racecourse is bracing itself in anticipation of gales and heavy rain in the run-up to the weekend. Western England and Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are likely to be hit by severe gales, heavy rain and flooding as a "vigorous depression" moves in off the Atlantic, the Met Office has warned.

Storm force winds of more than 80 mph are expected in some areas as the depression moves north "with some structural damage possible".

Cheltenham's two-day Tripleprint Gold Cup meeting is due to start tomorrow and clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: "There's only so much we can do in anticipation of the gales.

"We are putting some extra support in various parts of the course to hold things upright and we are having some extra people in on Friday morning to put right anything that needs sorting. Other than that we just have to take it as it comes."

The depression, forming off the coast of Portugal, is forecast to strike southwestern England and Wales this evening. And meetings at Ludlow (7.45) and Taunton (8.00) today are subject to morning inspections in the light of the forecast.

There are no problems reported for today's other meeting at Huntingdon where the going is described as soft.