Gale force winds of up to 115 mph could batter northern Scotland and parts of England ahead of the weekend as a 250mph jet stream surges in from the Atlantic.

The Met Office has issued amber 'be prepared' warnings for Thursday and Friday amid predictions that two areas of low pressure will bring more extreme weather.

Forecasters say the jet stream will bring with it wind speeds of up to 250mph at flying level - and that conditions could rival the storm-like weather which battered parts of southern England at the end of 2013.

The powerful jet stream will hit in overnight tomorrow into Friday.

The extra-fast jet stream has been triggered by plunging temperatures in the United States which has hit warmer air south, stirring up forceful winds.

Experts warned that sustained winds of up to 80mph and gusts as high as 115 mph could hit northern and western Scotland on Friday, sparking fears it could tear down trees and wreak havoc to travel and power lines.

Weather warnings issued by the Met Office for Saturday (Met Office)

Northern England could also see gusts of up to 60 and 70 mph throughout the day.

Britain will today be hit by winds of up to 60mph in the north while up to four centimetres of rain could fall over western parts of the country with the Pennines expected to see the largest deluge.

A yellow 'be aware' warning has also been issued for the northern parts of Scotland on Friday, where sustained wind speeds are expected to reach 80mph with gusts of up to 115 mph across northern and western Scotland.

Weather bomb - In pictures Show all 14 1 /14 Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Waves crash against the promenade wall in Prestwick, Scotland Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Waves crash onto the promonade in Blackpool, United Kingdom. High winds and large waves hit the North West Coast of the UK and Northern Ireland Nigel Roddis/Getty Images Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Professional surfer Alastair Mennie braves the conditions as he catches a wave in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb A car drives down the main road to Kielder in Northumberland Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb People on the promenade in Blackpool, as the stormy weather is causing disruption across parts of the UK with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions Lynne Cameron/PA Wire Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb People make their way through foam whipped up by the sea near Blackpool, north eastern England, as stormy weather causes disruption across parts of the United Kingdom with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions AP Photo/PA, Lynne Cameron Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Large waves batter the harbour wall during stormy weather in Ballinto in Northern Ireland AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb The sea in Saltcoats, Scotland, as the stormy weather is causing disruption across parts of the UK with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions Danny Lawson/PA Wire Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb A man takes pictures of large waves battering the harbour during stormy weather in Ballintoy in Northern Ireland AFP PHOTO / PAUL FAITHPAUL FAITH/AFP/Getty Images Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb A thin covering of snow near Allenheads in Northumberland, as the stormy weather is causing disruption across parts of the UK with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb A woman walks her dog along a flooded play park on December 10, 2014 in Portstewart, Northern Ireland. High winds and large waves hit the North West Coast of the UK and Northern Ireland Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Waves flood a children's play park in Portstewart in northern Ireland REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Giant waves hit the lighthouse wall at Whitehaven, as the stormy weather is causing disruption across parts of the UK with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Weather bomb - In pictures Weather bomb Cyclists on the promenade in Blackpool, as the stormy weather is causing disruption across parts of the UK with power cuts, ferry and train cancellations and difficult driving conditions Lynne Cameron/PA Wire

A spokesperson for the Met Office said Saturday will see a brief respite with cooler, clearer conditions and a slight easing of winds before another slow pressure system moves across the north-west of UK.

He told The Independent: “It’s not as intense as the first one but still enough to give us gusts of 80 and 90 mph in northern Scotland. Further south we will see gusts of between 60 and 70mph and up to 50 mph sustained speeds.