UK weather forecast: Storm Helene to bring strong winds and rain — but also sun and 27C temperatures

Parts of the country could see unseasonably warm weather as Helene passes

Forecasters downgraded warnings that Storm Helene could pose a risk to life when it arrives later this week but are still urging coastal communities to be vigilant.

The Met Office had said on Friday that the storm could bring hazardous conditions when it travels through the north of England, Wales and Ireland.

But predictions have changed and the majority of expected strong winds are likely to only be felt over the Irish Sea on Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

"Helene is still over the Atlantic but it's weakening and we're a lot more confident of what's going to happen," a spokesperson for the Met Office said.

"The centre of the storm will go up through the middle of Ireland and most of the strong winds will be in the Irish sea and to the west of Scotland."

The storm could still fell some trees, which risk disrupting transport links but experts did not think it would reach the 70mph winds originally predicted.

"There is not a danger to life, but we are just saying be prepared for it be very windy for a while," the spokesperson said.

A yellow warning remains in place for Storm Helene and it is still expected to bring unseasonably warm weather to parts of the south-east and to London, as low pressure brings up warm air from the south.

Some parts of Britain could even see highs of 27C, which is 7C to 8C above average for this time of year, according to the Met Office.

Press Association contributed to this report