Low 3 which becomes Storm Ciara is currently bringing severe winter weather to Northeast US and then Newfoundland for the end of the week but ahead of that is another low 2 which will bring wet and very windy weather on Saturday to some parts of the UK.

What are we expecting?

Very windy weather –Saturday pm Scotland, Northern Ireland and Cumbria as an early feature (low2) moves in bringing gales and heavy rain Saturday afternoon and evening with hill snow for northern mainland Scotland later.

Sunday- at the moment there is still the blanket yellow warning for wind across the whole of the UK with a few rain pockets highlighted as well. Updates to the warnings usually appear mid-morning from the Met Office. There have been some ranty demands for Amber warnings on social media earlier this week but what is gained from an amber warning that the yellow is not already telling you? This system is still on the other side of the Atlantic, as it gets closer the fine detail will appear. It is going to be very windy.

A storm is named when it has an Amber (or Met Eireann Orange) warning or the potential to see an Amber.

An intense powerful Jetstream will help deepen Storm Ciara and conveyer several low pressures across the Atlantic.

Even once Storm Ciara careers off to Scandinavia for Monday, in the colder air that follows there will be strong winds, heavy rain and snow showers as Low 1 pulls southeast from Iceland. Other low pressures whizz along in the strong zonal flow but there are concerns about conditions for western Scotland and northern counties of Northern Ireland with the strength of the wind and possible blizzard conditions.

Let’s take a break and come back to today.

Friday

There is a fog warning for NE and eastern England this morning. It has been clear and chilly overnight with a frost in places to start Friday. Temperatures fell away with the still conditions as the high pressure just managed to hold on. Most of Britain will have a fine day with sunshine, temperatures of 5 to 9C and light winds. By lunchtime there will be more of a breeze for Northern Ireland with increasing cloud and patchy light rain from the SW. Milder air spills in with rain from the west this evening and a brief milder spell overnight. A bit of snow over the Scottish mountains in colder air as the winds veer to the west.

Saturday starts off fair, but SW winds begin to pick up, bringing a scattering of rain showers to western shores. During Saturday afternoon low 2 will bring very windy and wet weather to the Western Isles with severe southerly gales and very rough seas. And then later into the evening over strong winds and heavy rain for Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Irish Sea by evening the Isle of Man, Solway Firth and NW England, the Pennines and Anglesey.

Rain warnings have been added to the wind warning for Sunday. "Heavy rain will affect parts of western England and Wales during Sunday. The heaviest rain will be over high ground where 40-60 mm is expected widely with perhaps up to 80 mm in a few locations" MO. So there is the risk of localised surface water flooding, river and coastal flooding.

The low centre 3, Storm Ciara will be nearer to the UK by Sunday and by day much of England and Wales will have strong SW winds with land gales. Sudden gusts of 50 to 60 mph, for exposed coasts and hills 70mph. The winds just keep on going. There is mild air caught up in this system with temperatures up into double figures. The winds will pick up again for Scotland and Northern Ireland but as the low centre passes by on Sunday evening there could be severe westerly gales for the Western Isles and then Orkney.

Monday starts off windy with blustery showers from the west, sunshine elsewhere but there will be much colder air from the west. So, the showers turn more wintry with snow forecast for the hills, blizzard conditions for higher levels routes and even some snow to lower levels flurrying past on Tuesday.

"Heavy snow and strong winds will combine to lead to disruption to travel , especially over higher routes."

There are also concerns for coastal flooding as a huge Atlantic swell comes in

So, after the recent calm, quite a change. Keep up-to-date with the warnings, it is likely there will be some updates today. And bear in mind there is the likelihood of some disruption to travel, even power supplies, from the ongoing strength of the winds Saturday afternoon, Sunday and into the start of the next working week as things turn colder. If you have a slightly wobbly fence get it sorted today or Saturday morning.

More discussion on Storm Ciara on the forum

Update at 10:10am Friday 7th Amber warning for SE England