On heels of first Storm Brendan then brighter conditions comes blustery weather system

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

The UK had a brief respite from the wind and rain on Wednesday, but the Met Office said that wintery conditions would return on Thursday.

A 48-hour period of disruptive weather began Monday as hit Ireland, causing thousands of homes to lose power before bringing winds in excess of 80mph to parts of Scotland and England.

The storm grounded flights and disrupted railways and ferries. Gales in excess of 50mph Tuesday night caused the roof of a block of flats to crash into Slough high street, Berkshire.

A yellow warning of wind covering much of England expired at 5am on Wednesday, while a rain warning covering south-east England ceased at 9am.

However 13 flood warnings were in place on Wednesday afternoon – meaning flooding was expected and immediate action required – as well as 163 less serious flood alerts.

Alex Deakin, from the Met Office, said earlier that the weather would largely be “bright and breezy” for the rest of Wednesday, except for some showers in the west and in northern Scotland. “It’s still breezy out there, but not as windy as recent days. Temperatures [are] mostly in single figures.”

Met Office (@metoffice) Heading out for lunch? It's looking dry and bright for many of us but still windy with showers in the north and far west



What are your lunchtime plans? 🌞🥪 pic.twitter.com/Vuh1tWUchO

But he said that after the departure of Storm Brendan another weather system would mean a return of wet and windy conditions on Thursday. That system would begin in Ireland and Scotland then push eastwards across the UK, with winds of about 50mph to 60mph on the Irish Sea and between 40mph and 50mph inland.

Conditions are expected to settle on Friday and at the weekend, but temperatures are predicted to drop, bringing an average of about 8C across the UK.

A gust of 78mph was recorded on the Isle of Wight on Tuesday, while the village of Libanus, in the Brecon Beacons national park, in Wales, had 42mm of rainfall in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.