UK weather: Britain braced for 34mph winds and more rain ahead of unsettled weekend

Southwest and eastern England will see worst of the wet weather on Thursday

Britain looks set for a wet and windy end to the working week as an area of low pressure brings more rain and gusts of up to 34mph.

Large parts of the UK can expect a dark and cloudy start to the day on Thursday, with the southwest of England forecast to see the worst of the wet weather at the beginning of the day.

Rain will move its way across to the east as the day progresses, with some heavier downpours expected in the late afternoon.

There will be some sunny spells, mostly in northern Scotland, southeast England and the Midlands, with London likely to see highs of 20C. Further north, the mercury could hit 18C in Liverpool.

However, strong winds of up to 34mph in the northwest could make those conditions feel slightly cooler.

“We’ve seen high rainfall totals across the southwest of England and southern Wales overnight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning,” Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge told The Independent.

“That rain will move into the east as the day progresses, particularly around the Lincolnshire area.”

Going into Friday, low pressure will continue to hang over the south coast of England and move towards the southwest as the day progresses.

Heavy and possibly thundery conditions in the south. Northern Scotland should remain dry with sunny spells.

“The driver of this unsettled weather is an area of low pressure sat to the south of the UK that is bringing in rain and reasonably strong winds,” Mr Madge added.

It will remain breezy, with gusts in excess of 30mph expected across much of the country, although more humid air will make it feel warmer than Thursday.

Saturday will be a warmer day for most with sunny spells and lighter winds. However, showers and thunderstorms may break out, especially across western areas.

Sunday should see some sunny spells, especially in the east. Showers may break out across northern and western areas.

“Very unsettled conditions for the next few days; such a dominant area of low pressure is quite unusual for summer,” said Madge.

“We’ll be under these conditions until at least the beginning of next week, with some intermittent periods of sunshine.”