Wet and windy weather
Author: Press Office
12:39 (UTC+1) on Sat 30 Sep 2017
An unsettled spell of weather is forecast this weekend and into the start of next week with severe weather warnings issued.
Low pressure is dominating our weather as we head into October and the UK will experience some heavy rain and strong to gale force winds. This unsettled weather is being influenced by what's left of tropical systems Lee and Maria in the Atlantic.
Wet and windy weather will set in from Saturday evening with some heavy bursts of rain and gales in areas open to the wind. Indeed some severe gales are expected in western and north-eastern Scotland. The rain will clear from the west through Sunday with strong winds and blustery showers following.
A Yellow National Severe Weather Warning for wind has been issued covering Scotland, parts of northern England and parts of Northern Ireland for Monday as strong west or northwesterly winds may bring some disruption to transport with short interruptions to power supplies possible.
Laura Paterson, Operational Chief Meteorologist, explains how the remnants of Lee and Maria may affect our weather this weekend: “The remnants of tropical systems are likely to impact our weather towards the end of the weekend and into the beginning of next week.
“Although both systems will be much weaker by the time they enter the UK’s latitudes, the heat and moisture from ex-Lee will give a ‘boost’ to another developing area of low pressure further north, bringing some heavy rain and strong winds for many northern and western parts of the UK on Sunday. Meanwhile, the remnants of Maria may bring some rain across southern parts of the UK later on Monday.”
It is important to stress, however, that any weather impacts will be very different from those experienced in the Caribbean.
Laura adds: “With some severe weather forecast over the next few days, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the latest forecast and warnings to make sure you’re up to date and to help you prepare for any activities you may have planned.”
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “After a period of relatively settled and indeed mild weather, the weekend looks a lot less promising and drivers in the north of the UK in particular will find the mixture of heavy showers and gusty winds make driving conditions challenging.
“Our advice is to slow down, plan more time for your journey and allow more space for other road users – especially cyclists who will also be contending with the wind and rain making for very difficult riding conditions.”
The good news is that once these areas of low pressure clear away eastwards, the weather is likely to become more settled with many places seeing some periods of dry, bright weather next week.
You can find out the current forecast in your area using our forecast pages and by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as using our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.