UK weather: New warnings for 65mph winds and heavy rain as August misery continues

On Saturday, heavy rain is widely expected to accumulate between 20mm and 30mm in some areas

New warnings for 65mph winds and heavy rain have been issued across the UK as the August wet spell continues.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Saturday, with strong winds and heavy rain due late on Friday night into the weekend.

The whole of the southwest of England is affected, with parts of the south of the country along with large swatches of Wales, between 6am and 9pm. A separate warning covering much of Northern Ireland is in place from midnight to noon on Saturday.

The Met Office warns of up to 60mm of rain falling in the worst affected areas, with gusts of wind up to 65mph in coastal areas.

Last month marked the UK’s sixth wettest July on record, averaging 140.1mm of rain across the month, and it was the wettest in Northern Ireland’s history.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Steven Keates said: “There’s some potentially disruptive weather on the way on Saturday as a deep area of low pressure for the time of year moves from west to east across central areas of the UK.

“Although it’ll be a wet day for many, Northern Ireland is likely to see the highest totals, with a chance of 40-60mm of rain falling in some spots, but 20-30mm more widely. Parts of north Wales and northwest England could also see some very wet conditions.

The impacted areas include Northern Ireland and parts of the west and southwest of England and Wales (Met Office/screengrab)

“The strongest winds are more likely in southwestern areas of the UK, including parts of Wales, southwest England and along the south coast of England,” he continued.

“The most exposed coasts could see gusts in excess of 60mph, but even inland gusts of 50mph are possible, especially for parts of Wales and southwest England.

“With trees in full leaf, wet ground and the likelihood of a number of outdoor events etc, the impacts of this weather are likely to be greater than if it were to occur during the autumn or winter. Winds are expected to ease from the west later in the day. Windy conditions will likely coincide with high tides, which could present an additional challenge for coastal areas.”

There is hope of a break in August’s unsettled weather pattern later next week. A shift in the jet stream could allow for more favourable conditions, bringing high pressure in southern areas across the UK, forecasters say.

“However, at this range, the details are quite uncertain and there’s still a chance of rain to areas further north,” Mr Keates added. “As always, details will become clearer with a shorter lead time.”

August conditions are far from summery so far (REUTERS)

Met Office outlook:

Thursday

Showers continuing for Scotland and northeast England, but turning mostly dry with some clear spells in the west. Staying breezy on exposed coasts.

Friday

Mostly dry with decent sunny spells for Wales and southwest England. Elsewhere sunny, spells and heavy showers, with a risk of the odd rumble of thunder.

Saturday-Monday

Wet and windy on Saturday. Winds easing and turning drier and brighter on Sunday and Monday. A risk of showers throughout and staying cool.