Heavy rain and strong winds with gusts of up to 60mph are set to bring “dangerous conditions” and travel disruption to parts of the UK in the coming days, forecasters have said.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain in Scotland spanning 9am on Wednesday to 3pm on Thursday ahead of windy weather which could accompany up to 150mm of rainfall within 24 hours in some areas.
The rest of the country will see calmer weather with unsettled conditions for some on Thursday as bands of rain weaken and gradually move south-east, the forecaster added.
Areas affected by heavy rain – including Glasgow, Ayrshire and other places in western Scotland – are likely to see 75-100mm of rainfall over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, though more is forecast over higher ground.
This could cause difficult driving conditions, travel disruption, and flooding in places.
It's an improving picture across the country currently with some sunny spells developing, as shown in the latest view from above 🛰️
But cloud and rain is waiting in the North Atlantic, and this will arrive on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/ZClUH6Ns03
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 20, 2024
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “A band of rain will move in from the west on Wednesday morning and will become slow moving with heavy bursts of rain at times, especially over high ground in Scotland.
“This rain will persist into Thursday for many within the warning area, with 75-100mm likely quite widely, with higher accumulations possible over the higher ground.
“Gusty winds will accompany the rain, with 50-60mph possible near Irish Sea coasts and the west of Scotland.
“Coupled with spring tides, this could lead to some dangerous coastal conditions before winds gradually ease later on Thursday.”
The Met Office said remnants of Hurricane Ernesto, which ripped through the North Atlantic last week, will play a “background role” in the downpours and windy weather.
The weather will be sunny with scattered showers for most of the UK on Tuesday, with heavier rain and stronger winds in the north-west.
The weekend is forecast to get off to an unsettled start, as overnight rain slowly clears, but should be calm and dry for much of England and Wales as the weekend progresses.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Rudman said temperatures are likely to be “around or slightly below average for the time of year”.
He added the more settled weather is set to continue into the bank holiday Monday for much of England and Wales, with occasional showers in the North West.
