A free fireworks display in Brighton has been cancelled due to Storm Ciaran.

The annual Coles Funfair and Fireworks in Preston Park was due to return on Wednesday, with as many as 8,000 people expected to flock to the park to watch the fireworks.

However, Brighton and Hove City Council have confirmed that the event has been cancelled due to Storm Ciaran, which is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain along the Sussex coast from Wednesday night into Thursday.

In a statement, the council said: “Coles Funfair and Fireworks due to take place at Preston Park on Wednesday, November 1, have been cancelled due to the Storm Ciaran forecast and the wet and boggy ground conditions.”

A yellow weather warning for rain is in place from 9pm on Wednesday until late on Thursday due to the storm.

Wind speeds of up to 80mph are expected along some coasts, reaching 90mph in exposed areas.

A Met Office spokesman said: “Periods of heavy rain or showers are likely to affect much of the UK from late Wednesday through Thursday.

“The highest rainfall amounts are likely in southern and western areas, where a further 20 to 25mm is possible quite widely, and especially over high ground, where 40 to 60mm could fall in this period.”

It is not the first time the fireworks display in Brighton has been cancelled, with the event being called off at last minute last year due to bad weather.