Atlantic storms to batter UK bringing 100mph winds and snow

Here they come: Two storms are set to hit the north of the UK in quick succession later this week because of a strong jet stream, currently travelling at a speed of around 250mph moving across the Atlantic Ocean. It will bring winds of up to 90mph in northern Scotland

Britain is bracing itself for a storm bringing gale force winds of up to 100mph, which could rip up trees, damage buildings and severely affect public transport.

Two powerful Atlantic storms are set to batter the country, with winds as ferocious as those which caused misery last winter due to sweep in from this evening, forecasters have warned.

When the twin storms have passed there will be no break from the severe weather, as snow is expected to fall in parts of Britain on Saturday afternoon bringing further transport chaos.

Much of the UK was lashed by rain this morning, bringing flooding to some areas of the South as people struggled to get to work on flooded roads.

But forecasters warn that as the downpours ease today the respite will only be brief before the weather 'goes downhill' and powerful storms batter the country one after the other for 48 hours from around 10pm tonight.

A powerful jet stream moving at around 250mph across the Atlantic will bring the storms and high winds to Scotland and the north of England this evening. These have gathered force and pace from the recent exceptionally cold snap in America which has hit warmer air in the south.

Mark Wilson, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'Once we have cleared the rain from the south east of England it will be a fairly dry day today, during daylight hours at least.

Gritters have already been out in force on the A9 near Dalwhinnie in Scotland as the north of the UK already struggles with bad weather

'However it will go downhill from there.

'Heavy rain will begin to push in from the west but our big concern is northern Scotland.'

The Met Office has issued two amber warning - telling people to 'be prepared' in the north of Scotland, where winds are expected to reach 100mph from 10pm tonight and cause disruption to transport and damage buildings.

The alert said 'The public should be aware of potential for disruption to transport and power supplies and the possibility of structural damage. Large waves may also lead to dangerous conditions along some coasts.'

A second amber warning has been issued for the central belt of Scotland, which includes Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In northern parts of England and Wales winds could reach 70mph, with gales of 50mph seen in the South.

Large powerful waves are also expected, which may cause damage to coasts.

Parts of Scotland, such as the Cairngorm Mountains near Dalwhinnie, have already been hit by bad weather and bouts of snow showers

The weather is being caused by a 'vigorous depression' and forecasters have warned that the central band of Scotland, around the the Forth Clyde area, could be battered by 80mph winds on Friday morning. A yellow - be aware - warning was upgraded to amber on Thursday afterrnoon.

Mr Wilson added: 'It won't be as bad as in North Scotland but the winds will be strong, and it's also rush hour so it is a concern.'

Officials in Scotland said as the fierce winds are due to hit, the Forth Road Bridge crossing is likely to be closed to all but cars during rush hour tomorrow morning and, possibly, on Saturday morning.

As the gales sweep in temperatures will remain well above average on Friday, at around 7C in the North and up to 14C in the South - caused by the warmer air being brought through with the fast jet stream.

As winds and rain lash the country there will be a brief respite on Friday evening before a second consecutive storm moves in, bringing rain to most of the country and high winds to a broader area of the north.

Mr Wilson said: 'It will not be as ferocious as the day before but we will see a band of rain push southwards across the country from Saturday morning. Following this colder conditions will sweep in and there is a risk of snow showers.'

As the north of the country braces itself for winds, a keen photographer captures the flooding caused by this morning's downpours in Cumbria

Snow will be confined to the north of the UK and forecasters said temperatures will 'drop quite dramatically' on Saturday afternoon to around 5C as the snow moves in.

This will continue into Sunday morning before it clears and milder conditions again return.

However this is not expected to last, as the mercury is due to plunge to more average levels on Monday.

Mr Wilson added: 'Into next week it will get quite cold, with some snow on higher ground. Temperatures will be closer to average for this time of year.'

Forecasters have also warned that Friday's storms could bring travel chaos.

Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'The winds will be at their strongest through the early hours of Friday and this brings the potential for disruption across Scotland, but there is a chance that strong, gusty winds could persist into the early part of the morning rush hour as well.

'We'd advise anyone planning to travel during the early part of the morning and into the early rush hour to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely.

The AA has also issued warnings, urging people to take care on the roads as drivers face fierce winds and heavy rain.

John Seymour, national manager of the AA's severe weather team, said: 'Scotland, particularly, is going to take something of a battering and drivers need to be prepared for possible widespread travel disruption and challenging driving conditions across the affected areas.

Cars ploughed through the rain near Burlesdon in Hampshire this morning, but the downpours are set to ease briefly before the storms come

'We would encourage people to check the weather and traffic updates before departing and to heed any police warnings about whether it is safe to travel.

'If you have no choice but to drive, keep your speed down as sudden gusts can catch you out and there is a risk of debris on the roads.'

Earlier this week Frank Saunders, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, warned of the ferocity of the first big storms of 2015. He said: 'The jet stream effectively fuels low pressure systems moving across the Atlantic, causing them to deepen rapidly as they pass to the north of the UK.

He added: 'The winds will really pack a punch.'

The wet start today follows an icy morning for many yesterday, with the Cambridgeshire Fens covered with a thick layer of ice and frost after temperatures dipped as low as -3.5C in parts of the country.

Forecasters said that the storms, while fierce, are not expected to cause as much havoc as last winter's storms. Tens of thousands of homes were left without power, trees were uprooted, trains and flights cancelled and floods crippled huge swathes of the UK when storms arrived on the south coast in October 2013.

Bethany Freeman, 17, died when the tree came down on a caravan as she slept in Kent, while 14-year-old Dylan Atkins was swept out to sea when he played near waves in Newhaven, East Sussex.

Large areas of the Somerset Levels were also left submerged for months.

Forecasters said the storms this time are likely to cause less disruption because they will be confined to the north, which is more used to adverse weather and less densely populated.