Hold onto your hats (and MASKS)! Britain braces for 65mph winds and heavy ‘persistent’ rain tomorrow – with sunny weekend with highs of just 15C
- Strong northerly winds will develop across East Anglia tomorrow morning with 65mph gusts possible
- Met Office warns of possible power cuts, train disruption, delays on the roads and spray in coastal areas
- Temperatures fell to -5C (23F) in Scotland last night, making it UK’s coldest September night since 1997
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Parts of Britain are bracing for 65mph winds tomorrow after the country’s coldest September night in 23 years.
The Met Office warned strong gusts and ‘persistent rain’ will hit eastern England from 9am tomorrow amid fears over power cuts, train disruption, delays on the roads and coastal areas being affected by spray and large waves.
It comes after the mercury fell to -5C (23F) at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands last night, making it the coldest September night in the UK since 1997. The record minimum for the month was -6.7C (19.9F) at Dalwhinnie in 1942.
A surfer makes the most of the waves off Tynemouth near North Shields in Tyne and Wear this morning
Surfers walk and sit among the waves off Tynemouth today ahead of strong winds arriving in eastern England tomorrow
Surfers walk through the water as they make the most of the waves off Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear this morning
The SR V ‘School’ class steam locomotive Cheltenham travels along the Mid Hants railway near Ropley in Hampshire today
Rain stops play during day two of the Bob Willis Trophy Final at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London today
Forecasters said strong northerly winds are expected to develop across East Anglia tomorrow morning and persist into the evening, with gusts of 45mph to 55mph likely with 60mph to 65mph gusts at times in coastal areas.
People in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk were warned to expect ‘delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport’ and ‘delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges’ as well as ‘short term loss of power and other services’.
Temperatures will only get up to 15C (59F) in the South today after yesterday’s high of 20.6C (69.1F) at Manston in Kent, and 26C (78.8F) both at Santon Downham in Suffolk on Tuesday and Yeovilton in Somerset on Monday.
The autumn equinox heralded the breakdown of the fine, sunny conditions which had dominated the weather for ten days, with a cold front now having moved south along with patchy rain and northerly winds bringing Arctic air.
The Met Office has warned of rain this afternoon (left) following the UK’s coldest September night for 23 years (right)
Rowers on River Thames by Putney riverside on a mixed day with rain showers and sunny spells in South West London today
Rowers next to the River Thames in Putney, South West London, today on a day of rain showers and sunny spells
A person walks their dog near Tynemouth Pier this morning as the sun rises over North Shields in Tyne and Wear
The sun rises over Tynemouth Pier this morning as parts of England prepare for strong winds to arrive tomorrow
Saturday and Sunday are set to be mostly dry and sunny for most of England and Wales but chilly, with similar temperatures to today and tomorrow. There is also set to be more cloud in western areas.
The Met Office has predicted more unsettled weather next week with ‘cloud and outbreaks of drizzle affecting the east and west at first with dry weather in between on Monday’.
Forecasters added: ‘There will be generally windy weather coupled with showers and occasional longer spells of rain at times. The heaviest rain most likely in the west and northwest, which may also see gales.’
However they said there may be brief interludes of drier and sunnier weather in the East and South East, while ‘overnight frost may be seen in prone parts of the North during any brief interludes of calmer weather’.