This week, bands of showers, at times heavy, will move in from the northwest, accompanied by some blustery winds at times.

On Friday a band of more organised showers will gradually sink south through the day, bringing some heavy pulses of rain for short periods as it moves south in the day.

Speaking in the Met Office 10 Day Trend, Alex Deakin said: “The pressure pattern for the next few days will be dominated by low pressure to the north and high pressure to the south.

“Plenty of isobars are on the charts, meaning it’s going to stay pretty blustery. At times we’ll see these weather fronts drifting through, bringing bands of showery rain across the country.

“Up until Saturday, we’re going to see a mixture of sunshine and showers with strong, blustery westerly winds.”

Further ahead

With Saturday likely to be drier for most, with a chance of just a few showers in the north, the set up for next week is for unsettled weather to be the theme, with low pressure systems in the Atlantic likely to be the driving force of further spells of wind and rain.

Alex continued: “A little area of high pressure is looking to build in and bring many places and fine and dry day on Saturday.

“Sunday, however, has a few more doubts. That area of high pressure will be slinking off and then weather fronts and low-pressure systems – a couple of them, in fact – look to merge to bring some more unsettled weather on Sunday. However, there’s some uncertainty about the position, track and timing of these fronts.

“What we look to be left with through next week is a similar pattern to what we’ve got now, with low pressure systems mostly to the north and areas of high pressure to the south and a reasonably active jet stream pushing everything along.”

Travel

Amy Shaw, National Network Manager, at National Highways, said: “Weather such as high winds and heavy rain can have an impact on road users when they are travelling. We always recommend everyone plans ahead before their journey, checks the latest weather forecasts and allow extra time.

“When driving in challenging weather conditions, people should also adjust their driving behaviour and take extra care at all times. It’s also a good idea for people to check their vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, before heading out to reduce the risk of breakdowns.”

National Highways has lots of advice on its website around travelling in different severe weather conditions, which are particularly prevalent in the autumn and winter seasons, including high winds and gales, fog, rain and snow and ice. Visit the travelling in severe weather web page for more information.