UK weather – Storm Etienne forecast to bring 17 HOURS rain and snow tomorrow before 80mph 'danger to life' gales hit

The rain is due to come in from the south-west and affect most of the country and most areas will see heavy bursts at times.

Wales, south-west England and northern parts will be the worst affected, according to the Met Office with around 30mm falling throughout the day.

Most areas will see rain throughout the day with Birmingham seeing one of the longest periods of downpours where it is due to rain for around 17 hours.

Tonight the front will hit Cornwall with heavy rain before spreading northeast up to Scotland, where it will turn to snow over the Pennines and mountains of southern Scotland by dawn.

It will then travel north-east towards the UK, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall into Wednesday but weakening as it goes.

Snow is also expected in hilly areas tomorrow first thing for the morning commute but this is not expected to linger for long.

Scotland, the Pennines, the Peak District and the Cumbrian Fells could all see some snowfall.

Despite the rain and cloudy conditions it will feel fairly mild, especially in the south with top temperatures hitting 13-14C although in the northern parts of Scotland temperatures will struggle to get above freezing.

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Things will improve on Thursday but still remain breezy and feel cold with spells of rain before worsening for the end of the working week.

Gale force winds are expected to batter large parts of the UK as a deep area of low pressure moves in.

The Met Office said it would be a windy day for all but in the north speeds could reach between 60-70mph while this could reach 80mph in exposed areas, causing a danger to life.

While it will feel pretty unpleasant for most of the day temperatures will still be around 13-14C.

The Met Office has warned of potential danger to life from flying debris, large waves and beach material thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties – as driving rain is expected to accompany the wind in many areas.

5-day weather forecast

Today:

After a frosty start and a few early fog patches, the UK will be bright, rather cold and dry, apart from a few showers in northwest Scotland. Cloud will increase later from the southwest, bringing rain to Cornwall before dusk.

Tonight:

Rain will spread northeastwards from Cornwall, becoming heavy over south Wales, and perhaps turning to snow over the Pennines and Cumbrian Fells. Northern and eastern Scotland will be frosty.

Wednesday:

Further rain will move eastwards across much of the UK, leaving sunshine and showers in the west. The exception will be northern Scotland, which will stay bright and cold.

Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:

Breezy with patchy rain on Thursday. Wet and very windy on Friday, with gales likely for many, perhaps severe on coasts and hills. Breezy on Saturday with sunshine and showers.

Source: Met Office

The Met Office warned of a "very windy Friday" but said the situation could change.

"Friday is looking very windy but keep your eye on the latest forecast, as we will be able to pin down the detail (i.e. the timing and location of the strongest winds) nearer the time; meaning the warning may change slightly over the coming days", they said.

This article contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0

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