UK facing ‘heaviest rain and strongest winds’ of autumn with severe gales forecast for Friday

The UK is set to experience some of the “heaviest rain and strongest winds” it has seen so far this autumn on Friday – when “severe gales” of up to 55mph could hit parts of the country.

The Met Office said wet and windy weather blowing in on Friday will have started on the other side of the Atlantic, but it does not expect these conditions to be the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which unleashed devastation in Canada after it came ashore as a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday.

The national weather service warned “heavier rain and strong winds” and “autumnal” weather will spread quickly eastwards on Friday, when London will see temperatures of around 16C and a moderate breeze.

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth stressed Friday’s forecast weather is not unusual for the time of year, saying the impacts are expected to be limited at this stage.

She said: “The strongest winds will affect north-western Scotland and Northern Ireland where severe gales are possible, up to 55mph, during Friday morning and afternoon.

“There will also be strong winds along the south coast on Friday afternoon and evening, where there is a chance of gales, for a short period of time.”

She added: “We are expecting the strong Atlantic jet stream to develop and push a deep area of low pressure across the Atlantic that will bring a spell of rain to the UK on Friday with some strong winds following.

“It is likely to bring some of the heaviest rain and strongest winds we’ve seen so far this autumn.

“Saturday will be an unsettled day with blustery showers and perhaps some more persistent rain along the south.

“By Sunday however it’ll be a drier and calmer day across the UK.”