Bands of locally heavy rain and showers will affect much of the UK on Friday, with Northern Ireland likely to miss the worst of the rainfall. The wettest conditions will transfer eastwards, with eastern Scotland and northeast England most likely to see the heaviest rain.

An amber warning for wind has been issued for southwest England on Friday between 3am and 10am, while a yellow warning for wind covers a larger area of southwest and southern England and south Wales between 12am and 2pm.

Drier and brighter weather will follow from the west, although scattered showers will remain. Eastern areas are likely to hold on to cloud and rain for longest.

Strong southerly winds around south-eastern coasts will ease as the rain clears. However, severe north-westerly gales in the southwest will extend farther east and inland for a time before gradually moderating. Coastal gales are then expected to develop along the east coast of Scotland later.

Cloud and rain will clear from most eastern areas during Friday night, although wet weather may linger across Shetland. Winds will ease, allowing clearer, drier and more settled conditions to move across much of the UK. A few showers remain possible in the far south, especially around exposed coasts.

The respite will be short-lived. Cloud will thicken from the west later, with strengthening winds and widespread rain reaching western areas by Saturday morning.

What’s the forecast for Saturday?

Saturday will begin mostly dry, with some clear or sunny spells. Cloud and rain will then spread eastwards from the west, becoming heavy in places, particularly over western hills and other windward slopes.

Clearer conditions will return from the west later, followed by blustery showers. These will be most frequent and occasionally heavy across northern areas.

Winds will initially be lighter, but conditions will become increasingly windy through the day. Gales are possible around exposed coasts, with the strongest winds expected across the northwest later. It will also feel rather cold, especially in the wind and rain.

A yellow warning for rain has been issued for parts of northeast and southwest Scotland from 6am Friday to 3am Saturday.

Met Office presenter and meteorologist, Dan Holley, said: “Friday will be very unsettled, with heavy and persistent rain moving north across northern England into Scotland before gradually shifting eastwards.

“There could be a brief spell of brightness across eastern England, while western areas should see conditions improve later, with winds easing and some sunshine developing.

“It will feel cold, particularly beneath the cloud, wind and rain, with temperatures in the high single figures across parts of Scotland and low double figures elsewhere. Some snow is also possible above around 700 metres in Scotland.

“The rain will become particularly persistent across eastern and south-eastern Scotland later on Friday, with 20 to 40mm possible quite widely and perhaps 60 to 80mm in places, bringing a risk of surface water and river impacts.

“Storm Austin will move away on Friday evening, allowing a brief quieter spell before Storm Boelo brings another bout of wet and windy weather on Saturday, followed by strong winds into Sunday.”

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A stormy seas