Met Office daily weather: Shift in conditions as Storm Amy arrives

The end of the week will bring a marked shift in conditions across the UK as Storm Amy moves in

The end of the week will bring a marked shift in weather conditions across the UK, as storm Amy moves in from the west, bringing periods of heavy rain, strong winds, and a risk of severe gales, particularly in northern and western areas.

Friday will begin with outbreaks of rain, particularly across eastern areas, though these will tend to clear overnight and early in the day. Some rain may linger across the southeast for a time. Many places will enjoy a brief drier interlude before conditions turn widely unsettled again from the west as storm Amy arrives. Outbreaks of rain, locally heavy in the west, will spread eastwards. Winds will ease temporarily, but further strong winds associated with Amy will arrive from the west during the late afternoon, with gales or severe gales developing in the north and west by evening. Temperatures will be near average for the time of year.

Friday night will see stormy conditions developing across northern parts of the UK, as a squally cold front moves south-eastwards, clearing Scotland and Northern Ireland by midnight and reaching southeast England by Saturday morning. Clear spells and showers will follow, merging into longer spells of rain across the northwest by morning. Many areas, especially in the west and northwest, can expect a period of heavy rain. Winds will increase to severe gale or storm force across the north and northwest, with gusts of 70 to 80 mph possible in exposed locations.

A number of weather warnings are in place due to Storm Amy on Friday and into Saturday.

Outlook for Saturday

Saturday will start with a band of squally rain soon clearing from southeast England, leaving much of the UK with bright or sunny spells and frequent, blustery showers. These may merge into longer spells of rain at times, especially for parts of Scotland. It will remain very windy in many areas, with gales or severe gales in the north and the potential for stormy conditions affecting northern Scotland. It will feel on the cold side for many, marking a notable change from the milder conditions earlier in the week.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Alex Deakin, said: “Friday morning could see a wet start across the southeast. A lot of spray and surface water on the roads here, but that should scoot away as should the rain from the northern Isles of Scotland, but only to allow the next zone of rain to come in from Storm Amy.

READ MORE: Storm Amy on the way, but how unusual is it?

“Now, this is going to get heavier and heavier through the day across Northern Ireland and into western Scotland and northwest England through the afternoon. So again, because it's been pretty wet recently, that could cause some disruption. Some flooding is possible and certainly travel issues and again a lot of spray and surface water on the roads. The rain will spread also across much of England and Wales. So, overall a pretty grey day. We may have some dry weather for a time in the morning, but most areas turning wet and increasingly windy through Friday afternoon. Temperature-wise, well, mid to even high teens.

“But obviously, it's not going to feel all that pleasant as the rain sets in and those winds whip up. And they really will be whipping up through the afternoon and evening across this northwestern corner of the UK. That's the swell. That is Storm Amy. And from 5:00, we have an amber warning in place across the northwest of Scotland. A broader yellow warning for the winds covering much of northern Britain through Friday night and indeed into much of Saturday."

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