Met Office map shows exact time Storm Darragh will sweep across UK this week

The Met Office has issued a number of weather warnings as the UK prepares to be hit by Storm Darragh this weekend.

The fourth named storm of the season is expected to bring 80mph winds and heavy rain late on Friday and into Saturday.

An amber weather warning for “potentially damaging” winds is in place for the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire in Scotland down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland, on Saturday from 3am until 9pm. Meanwhile, the heaviest rainfall is expected to be focused in northern and western parts of the UK, with some hill snow expected in areas above 200m elevation.

READ MORE: Met Office issues Storm Darragh amber wind warnings covering huge parts of UK - full list of areas

Storm Darragh is currently "brewing out in the Atlantic", the Met Office said, and will reach the UK by Friday morning. The storm will hit the island of Ireland first, before reaching northern parts of the UK by Friday evening and moving across the country clearing to the east by Saturday night.

The Met Office posted a graphic on social media showing the predicted track the storm will take. It shows the storm approaching the UK overnight on Thursday, reaching the island of Ireland at around 1pm on Friday.

By 9pm the storm will approach northern parts of the UK, bringing heavy rain to much of the country. By Saturday evening, the storm will have cleared the UK, with areas on the eastern coast still seeing some rainfall.

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: "Storm Darragh is an evolving system and will bring several hazards, including wind gusts of up to 70-80mph around western coasts, especially from Devon and Cornwall to south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wind speeds in inland areas will be slightly reduced with maximum gusts expected to reach 60-70mph."

Senior forecaster for the Met Office, Simon Partridge, said there will be some "very dangerous" conditions particularly around coastal areas.

He said: "The main thing is unless you really need to be going out in this on Saturday, it’s best to avoid it, particularly if you live in any of those areas covered by the amber wind warning. 70 mile an hour winds are dangerous and we could see, as the warnings suggest, a risk to life as a result.

"We have a very blustery spell of weather ahead. Amber warnings are usually over small areas, but because of the track of the storm, this will actually affect quite a large part of the UK."

The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for wind and rain on Thursday across parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England, with the warnings extending to cover the North East and south of England on Friday. A yellow warning for wind remains in place for Sunday across England, parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

The Met Office warned that flying debris could cause injury or danger to life while buildings may be damaged, such as tiles blown from roofs. It said power cuts and large waves should be expected, and some roads and bridges may be closed, with falling trees posing an additional hazard.