Police 'desperately' searching for 12-year-old girl who left Brighton home at 9pm as Storm Ellen lashed the coast and 'may have taken shelter in woods'

• Grace Clarke left her house in the Hollingdean area of Brighton around 9pm
• The police think she  she may be taking shelter from the wind and the rain
• They said they are 'extremely concerned' for Grace who went missing last night

Police are 'extremely concerned' about a 12-year-old girl who went missing during Storm Ellen. 

Grace Clarke left her house in the Hollingdean area of Brighton around 9pm on Friday, the UK's third day experiencing the storm.  

Grace is described as white, 5', with long dark hair and she was last seen wearing a black hooded top, black leggings and Nike sliders.

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Grace Clarke (pictured) left her house in the Hollingdean area of Brighton around 9pm on Friday, the UK's third day experiencing the storm

Brighton Sergeant Simon Marchant said: 'We, and her family, are enormously worried about Grace and would ask her, if she is reading this, to make contact with either us, her family or a responsible adult.

'There is a possibility she may be taking shelter from the wind and the rain either in wooded areas in the Varndean or Hollingbury areas, or potentially in outhouses or sheds in people's gardens.

'We are urging everyone to check their premises for signs of Grace and to keep an eye out for her.' 

Gusts of up to 70mph buffeted parts of the south-west of England and Wales on Friday, causing the RNLI and HM Coastguard to urge members of the public to be cautious in coastal areas.  

Some 10 flood warnings remained in places across parts of the UK on Friday night, meaning flooding is expected, while the Environment Agency issued a further 24 flood alerts for swathes of the south-west. 

The conditions caused major disruption in Wales and South West England, where gusts of up to 95mph forced the closure of the M48 Severn Bridge, while a 30mph speed limit was imposed on the A55 Britannia Bridge. 

Emergency services have urged the public to take extra care in the windy conditions, particularly along the coast where many people are enjoying August beach breaks as they go on a staycation instead of a foreign holiday.

Waves up to 9ft (2.7m) high could create dangerous seas and strong rip currents, and police have been asking the public to heed the RNLI's warning to visit lifeguarded beaches and avoid storm watching if swells become high.

The stormy conditions represent a dramatic turnaround from the extreme heatwave experienced in Britain up until last week which saw temperatures of at least 93F (34C) for six days in a row for the first time on record.