Worried forecasters fear another violent tempest, which could potentially be the second storm of the season, Storm Brian, will unleash chaos similar to Ophelia’s 100mph onslaught this week.



Terrifying weather charts show a churning 80mph cyclone hurtling towards the UK with landfall expected late Friday into Saturday.



Fierce gales brewing in the Atlantic are poised to tear across Ireland and smash the southwest coast of Britain in a near carbon copy of Ophelia.



Britons could even wake under a scarlet sky for the second time this week with the storm threatening to drag another plume of dustup from the Sahara. Latest GFS weather models have forecast a bomb-cyclogenesis or in other words a weather bomb, in the Atlantic which is predicted to form into a superstorm and hit on Friday night into Saturday morning. Latest model runs show South West England and Wales bearing the brunt of the potential Storm Brian with 65-75 mph gusts. The trough of low pressure is currently lurking over the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 miles off the southwest coast of Bermuda. Projected paths and weather models show the low pressure travelling across the the Atlantic towards the UK, with similar strength to Hurricane Ophelia.

GW Charts Storm Brian, which has yet to be officialy named is to hit the UK by Friday

WX Charts Storm Brian: GEFS models are showing that #StormBrian is looking likely by this weekend

Swathes of the UK face a severe bout of damaging winds and travel mayhem late on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday.



The deep low-pressure system could generate the second UK-named storm of the season after Aileen hit in September.



Warnings from weather outlets to batten down the hatches for ‘Brian’ are already circulating on social media.



Britons face further power outages, falling trees and damage to buildings as severe-gales lash the nation. Speaking to RTE radio in Ireland, Maynooth Geography Professor John Sweeney said: “Brian will be the next one in the sequence and by the weekend it does look like it's turning unsettled again but it's all relative.



“We won't have the same occurrence as Ophelia hopefully for a very long time.”



The Met Office confirmed it is keeping an eye on the storm which is expected to reach the UK on Friday night.



It said no name has yet been issued as no warnings are currently in place although it is not ruling out the possibility.





WX Charts Storm Brian: GFS is persistent with developments of stormy conditions arriving later on Friday

Forecaster Emma Sharples said: “After a mostly dry and settled day on Friday a low pressure system will move in overnight and into Saturday.



“It looks like bringing quite a bit of very wet and windy weather, gales are possible with coastal regions likely to feel the strongest gusts.



“We just have to prepare for another quite windy spell of weather, although the worst of it appears to be on Friday night.



“Currently there are no warnings in place, so we have not issued any name.”



Ophelia was unusual in retaining hurricane status as she passed across the Atlantic to the UK and so kept her US title.



The storm tore through Ireland and western Britain yesterday killing three people and leaving a trail of destruction.





Storm Brian: Latest maps reveal dangerous weather bomb heading to UK Fri, October 20, 2017 Bringing you the latest weather forecast path maps as Storm Brian is set to hit UK this weekend. Play slideshow Magicseaweed 1 of 18 Storm Brian swell forecast today

WX Charts Storm Brian: Path of the storm on a trajectory to UK

Thousands of homes were left without power while flights were delayed or cancelled sand transport networks were thrown into chaos.



Further stormy weather is forecast across northern England today as Ophelia delivers her parting shot.



Piers Corbyn, forecaster for Weather Action, said the recent succession of storms is being driven by unusually strong solar activity.



Brian could drag another plume of dust up from Portugal and the Sahara bringing a repeat of Monday’s blood sky, he added.





WX Charts Huge storm is raging across the Atlantic and is due to hit on Friday night