Britain is bracing for a battering of strong winds and torrential rain as the remnants of US tropical storm Wanda makes its way across the Atlantic.
The Met Office has issued flood warnings for England, Scotland and Wales and warned of strong gales across northern and eastern parts of the country as the tropical storm heads towards the UK.
Today forecasters confirmed the yellow warning for wind in place for northern Scotland, including Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian and the Highlands, would remain until 5pm today.
It comes after west to northwesterly gales reached 80mph and coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities, including in and around Aberdeen, were battered by spray as the winds spread eastwards last night.
Forecasters said: ‘Strengthening west to north westerly winds will bring gusts of 60-70mph perhaps locally 80mph, to exposed locations of northern Scotland.
‘These winds initially across the Western Isles and north west mainland Scotland on Saturday evening, spreading to the north east mainland and Orkney overnight and Sunday morning.
The weather for Sunday will be windy, especially across northern and eastern Scotland where severe gales and gusts are expected
The sun illuminates a housing estate dotted with autumnal trees in the St Annes area of east Bristol today as storm Wanda makes its way towards the UK
Met Office Meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth told MailOnline: ‘Wanda has been sat to the west of the azores since the end of October, making little progress in any direction.
‘Over the next 24 hours or so it is expected to move northeast towards the UK, but, it will lose its identity as a low pressure system and therefore no major effects are expected in the UK from storm Wanda.’
She added: ‘What Wanda will do is inject some moisture into a front that will move across the UK on Monday.
‘The front will bring some persistent rainfall across north-western parts of the UK throughout Monday and some light rain at times further south throughout Tuesday.
‘With the driest weather in the southeast. No weather warnings are in force for the new week.’
Forecasters have said Sunday will be windy, especially across northern and eastern Scotland where gales or severe gales and high gusts expected.
Many areas will be dry with sunny spells, but some showers are likely in the north and west and the Midlands
As for Monday, things will be bright at first in the south and east, then turning cloudier later but remaining mainly dry. It is expected to be cloudier and windier in the north and west with rain at times, especially in the evening.
The outlook for Tuesday onwards looks damp and windy, with cloud and rain moving southeast through the day with blustery showers following in the north.
Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: ‘There will be a bright start to the new week, but an area of cloud, wind and rain will move in from the west. There is some uncertainty because it is associated with an area of low pressure that is moving towards Iceland.’
The uncertainty is linked back to Tropical Storm Wanda, Wales Online reports.
McGivern added: ‘There is the possibility that Wanda will be picked up by the jet stream, and if the energy created by Wanda interacts with the jet stream in a certain way the jet stream will become more amplified.
‘There is also a developing area of low pressure near Florida that is moving north. Essentially, what we have got is a tropical storm and another area of low pressure, and the jet stream all interacting in a complex way during the next few days.
‘Those interactions will determine how ‘wavy’ the jet stream is by the end of the weekend. If the jet stream is particularly amplified, the lows will move around slower. If it is flatter the lows will move around quicker.
‘The uncertainty is really about timings. By the start of next week, no matter what time that low moves in, it will move to the north west of the UK sending rain to the north west, but the weather fronts will weaken as they move south.’
A map from the US National Hurricane Centre, shows the storm is travelling towards Britain. The tropical storm Wanda was named by the National Hurricane centre, who use a similar naming convention to UK with regard to naming storms
According to the Met Office Storm Wanda ‘will bring some persistent rainfall across north-western parts of the UK throughout Monday and some light rain at times further south throughout Tuesday’
For Tuesday, November 9 to Thursday, November 18, the long range Met Office forecast says: ‘Areas of low pressure lying to the north or northwest of the UK will bring changeable autumnal conditions at the start of the period, with active rain bands travelling across the UK, followed by showers and drier interludes, with occasional strong winds.
‘Likely to be wettest with stronger winds in the northwest, whereas the driest and brightest weather is likely to be in the southeast where rain bands will often be weak.
‘There is an increased chance of wintry showers from the north and northwest towards the end of the period, initially over higher ground but also a risk they will occur at lower levels.
‘Temperatures generally around average throughout this period, although milder interludes more prevalent at first, and colder interludes increasing possibly later on.’
Yesterday west to northwesterly gales reached 80mph in the more remote areas and coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities, including in and around Aberdeen, were affected by spray and large waves as the winds spread eastwards.
Forecasters warned: ‘In combination with high spring tides this is expected to lead to large waves around the coasts. Winds gradually easing through Sunday afternoon.
‘Strengthening west to northwesterly winds will bring gusts of 60-70 mph, perhaps locally 80 mph, to exposed locations of northern and eastern Scotland.
‘These very strong winds likely to result in some travel disruption and dangerous coastal conditions across northern and eastern Scotland. It’s believed bus and train services will be affected, with some journeys taking longer.’
