Many Brits will be in for a wet and windy weekend as Storm Kathleen - the eleventh named storm of the season - moves across the UK on Saturday.
The deep area of low pressure will bring strong winds and continued showers to the west of the country, while areas in the east and south are set to get some surprisingly warm weather - perhaps as high as 22C - thanks to the storm.
From the early hours of Saturday morning, Storm Kathleen will move towards the UK and Ireland from the southwest bringing unseasonably strong winds to Ireland and western parts of the UK. From 8am to 10pm, a Met Office yellow severe weather warning for wind will be in place for the whole of Northern Ireland as well as the west coast of England, Wales and southern Scotland.
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Areas covered by the warning, which just misses Greater Manchester, could see wind gusts of around 50mph, with the possibility of 70mph gusts in exposed coastal locations. The Met Office warned of injuries and danger to life from "large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties", adding that "road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible".
The Met Office's chief meteorologist, Dan Suri, said: "Storm Kathleen will bring strong gusty winds to western areas of the UK through Saturday. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected quite widely, while some exposed spots, particularly in coastal Northern Ireland, will see 60 to 70 mph gusts with large waves also expected."
He added: "There will also be some blustery showers in the west with the eastern side of the UK seeing a drier and brighter day. With the winds coming from the south, some unseasonably warm air will be drawn across parts of the UK.
"When combined with sunny spells in East Anglia we could see temperatures reaching 21C or 22C for a time on Saturday. These temperatures are well above average for the time of year and the highest we’ve seen in the UK since last October."
By Sunday, the area of low pressure will have moved to the northwest of the UK. However, gusts of around 50mph will still be possible in some areas, the Met Office warned. The winds will continue to ease from the south into the evening.
Blustery showers will push north-eastwards across the UK throughout the day, with the southeast of England likely to be the driest and brightest region.
Temperatures could hit the low 20s in some regions, making it the hottest day of the year so far. The highest temperature of the year so far was 19.9C, recorded at the end of January at Achfary in north-west Scotland.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: "Away from that warning area on Saturday, we could get up to 22C in isolated spots of East Anglia which would make it the hottest day of the year so far in that area. One of the residual effects from Storm Kathleen is helping to draw up that warmer air as well. It’s not unusual for these storm systems to bring warmer air with them."
The Met Office has also issued advice to anyone who has to drive in the windy conditions, warning that they could face disruption. RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "This intense period of stormy weather is going to prove extremely challenging for anyone driving on the western side of the UK. We strongly urge drivers to avoid exposed coasts and higher routes where the impact of the very strong winds is most likely to be felt."
He added: "It’s vital to slow down, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel at all times, and be prepared for the buffeting effect which can occur when overtaking high-sided vehicles. Leaving a much larger gap between vehicles also allows drivers to react quickly in the event of falling branches or flying debris."
Storm Kathleen, named by the Irish meteorological service Met Eireann, is the 11th named storm in eight months. It is only the second time in a UK storm season that the letter K has been reached in the alphabet.
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