A spell of strong winds and rain will affect the west on Friday and the west and north on Sunday and wind and rain warnings have been issued for both days.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “As we shift from a cold easterly weather regime to milder westerly conditions, the Atlantic air brings with it some potentially impactful weather. Over the coming days, successive weather fronts bring strong winds and bands of rainfall across the UK with a risk some areas, particularly in the west later in the weekend, could see some low or even medium impacts.

“Weather warnings have been issued to highlight the potential for travel disruption, dangerous conditions near coasts and the possibility of power cuts for some. Temperatures are also on the rise as part of this change, possibly peaking at 16°C in sheltered areas to the east and north of high ground today and on Friday, which is well above average for the time of year.”

On Friday, south and west Wales, southwest Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland could see wind gusts of 65 to 70mph on exposed coasts and 50 to 60mph more widely within the warning areas. Meanwhile, parts of Scotland could see 30-40mm of rainfall over a six-hour period, and up to around 70mm possible over higher ground within the warning areas.

Winds are expected to increase once again through Sunday, with many central, northern and western parts of the UK seeing gusts of up to 50-60mph at times, and perhaps as much as 70mph in exposed spots along Irish Sea coastlines, Scottish Islands, and other areas of high ground further inland. Heavy rain will accompany the strong winds, particularly in the west, making for very poor weather conditions, especially on roads.

For those away from warnings, conditions over the next few days will still be blustery and wet at times, although some parts in the east may remain largely dry until Sunday.

The westerly set-up for the UK’s weather is likely to continue next week, with showers or some longer spells of rain likely at times. After a very mild few days, temperatures will drop back closer to average for most places.

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