Met Office warns of weather 'shift' this weekend as heavy rain warnings sweep UK

A frosty night is likely on Friday ahead of more downpours as October arrives
-Credit: (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)


The Met Office has warned that this week's weather warnings are a sign of things to come as September comes to an end, with further downpours expected across much of the UK.

A Yellow warning for heavy rain has been issued for the full 24 hours of Thursday, September 26, covering a large portion of the North East, while further warnings are in place in the south of the country on Friday. Forecasters have said the region can expect some disruption on Thursday, particularly to travel, with a small chance that some homes and businesses could be affected by flooding and power cuts.

Now in its latest update, the Met Office has explained that a deep low pressure system is forecast to arrive on Sunday following a "quieter but much colder interlude" of dry weather on Saturday, spelling the potential for some "very wet and windy" conditions into the start of next week as October arrives. This will coincide with a downward trend in temperatures over the weekend, with frost likely for many parts of the UK overnight on Friday.

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Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Brent Walker said that there will be a distinctly "more autumnal" feel to daytime temperatures in the coming days, with cooler Arctic air making its way across the country ahead of the next low pressure system. "This will bring the potential for some very wet and windy weather late on Sunday and into the start of next week, though there is much detail to be determined on the exact conditions," he explained.

Before then, northern England is braced for "heavy and potentially disruptive" rain on Thursday, with the chance of thunderstorms and strong winds in the south of the country. 20-30mm of rain is likely to fall widely within the warning areas, with a risk of 50-70mm in some locations, the Met Office said, which could lead to difficult driving conditions, road closures, and delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

The Yellow rain warning impacting the North East reads: "A period of heavy and persistent rain is expected to affect parts of northern England and north Midlands during much of Thursday. The heaviest rainfall is likely to be across the Pennines and North York Moors where 80-100 mm of rainfall could accumulate during the course of the day."