Friday will dawn bright but rather chilly in many regions although the wind overnight has helped to prevent a frost from forming away from sheltered Scottish Glens. There are a few showers around northern and western coasts but for much of the country it is a fine start. Many central and eastern regions will then remain fine and dry for much of today, but out to the west it won't be long before cloud increases and thickens.

This will be down to Storm Darragh approaching from the west. That cloud will bring outbreaks of rain, locally heavy, in across much of Ireland and Northern Ireland today, the rain reaching many western parts of the UK mainland by dark leaving the far east and northeast of the country with a largely dry end to the day. Winds will be freshening too with coastal gales developing in the west and it will be a rather chilly feeling day with temperatures ranging from 5°C to 7°C in the east and 8°C to 10°C towards the west

Darragh continues to deepen this evening and tonight with winds strengthening in many regions although they will fall light for a time across Northern Ireland and then northern England as Darragh passes over. The strongest winds look set to develop on the western flank of the storm later in the night as gale or severe gale force north/north-westerlies develop across Ireland and Northern Ireland before extending across the Irish Sea and into Wales and western England. Inland gusts of up to 70 MPH are possible but around exposed coasts and hills these winds could gust to over 80 MPH bringing the risk of damage and disruption.

Tomorrow sees Darragh slowly pulling away east/south-eastwards across England with the strong winds slowly transferring eastwards so that northerly gales develop along the North Sea coasts later in the day and into Saturday night. Showers or longer spells of rain, with some hill snow, will continue to affect many regions but conditions will gradually turn drier from the north and west as we go through the rest of the weekend.

METEOROLOGIST : BARBER

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