'Get your coats and boots at the ready': Wet and windy weather set to soak parts of the UK
Wet and windy weather is forecast this weekend as the Met Office issues a series of yellow warnings for rain with the risk of some flooding.
The Met Office has warned everyone to get their "coats and boats at the ready" as blustery downpours are set to drench parts of the country through to Sunday.
Yellow warnings are in place as two separate Atlantic low-pressure systems will track to the north-west of the UK over the weekend, and the remnants of ex-Hurricane Zeta are set to bring further heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday.
Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said: "This week has been fairly unsettled and we’ll see this typical autumnal weather continuing over the weekend, with heavy rain and strong winds expected to bring disruption and risk of flooding to some areas."
The first weather warning lasts to just before midnight on Friday and Mr Saunders said there could be damage to homes and businesses, travel cancellations and power cuts.
The Met Office predicts heavy rain and gales, with the mountains of north-west Wales and Cumbria set to be hit by the worst drenching with potentially more than 100mm of rainfall.
Elsewhere in the warning zone – which covers parts of north-west England, Wales, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber – areas of higher ground could see strong to gale-force south-westerly winds, 50-80mm of rainfall and 25-40mm at lower levels.
Another warning which lasts through Saturday expects bouts of heavy rain to hit southern, central and western Scotland through the weekend and bring a risk of flooding.
The warning for Saturday also covers parts of Wales, north-west England and Yorkshire and Humber.
Across some hills and mountains, particularly north-west Wales, they could see 80-100mm of rainfall while 40-60mm could fall elsewhere on high ground.
There could also be 20-30mm of rainfall in many places.
The final warning, which covers most of Sunday, says that “periods of heavy rain” are expected in Wales and north-west England and will bring the risk of further flooding.
Deputy chief meteorologist Martin Young said: “Saturday will be very wet and windy for many northern and western parts of the country as low-pressure sweeps north-eastwards past north-west Britain.
“Another system quickly follows on Sunday that contains the remnants of ex-Hurricane Zeta, bringing further heavy rain and strong winds.”
This is falling on already saturated ground from what has been “a wet October” so there is an increased risk of flooding in some warning areas, he added.
Gary White, the duty tactical manager for Natural Resources Wales, said that flooding is “likely” to happen up and down the country over the next few days.
He said: “Our emergency response workers will be at key sites checking defences are in good working order and making sure any drainage grids and screens are clear to reduce the risk to people and their homes.”