Brits should expect a taste of autumn weather this week, forecasters say, with cold and unsettled conditions expected across the country.
Prolonged spells of rain and some heavy showers are expected to move down the UK from Tuesday, as a cold northerly wind brings with it some low night-time temperatures.
This will be followed by another wave of wet weather coming from the north on Friday, reaching the south of England by Saturday.
Meteorologists say this phase of adverse weather is thanks to an area of low pressure caused by the knock-on affects of tropical storms across the Atlantic.
Giving his outlook for the week ahead, Daniel Rudman, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: "On Friday it looks as though a deeper area of low pressure will move into the northwest of the UK.
"This means that many can expect a more notably wet and windy spell, for a time on Friday, than we’ve seen so far this autumn. However, this is nothing unusual for the time of year.
"At this time of year, knock-on effects from the Atlantic tropical cyclone season can lower confidence when forecasting more than a few days ahead, and so the exact timings for rainfall and wind strengths for Friday may vary throughout the week.”
Recent rainfall also means a number of flood advisory notices are in force in England and Wales today.
A flood warning was applied by the Environment Agency to the Essex coast at Coalhouse Fort overnight, with ten less severe flood alerts also given.
Natural Resources Wales meanwhile has a flood warning in place for the North Wales coast from the Dee estuary to the east coast of Anglesey.
UK weather forecast:
Sunny intervals and scattered showers for most; cool and breezy.
Today:
Sunshine and showers, heaviest in northeast Scotland, and quite frequent in areas exposed to the northwesterly winds, particularly north Wales and the west Midlands. Some inland areas mostly dry. Wet afternoon in far southwest. Feeling chilly, although winds slowly easing.
Tonight:
Rain clearing the far southwest, but showers continuing in some eastern and western coastal areas, as well as northern Scotland. Some inland areas clear with a touch of grass frost.
Wednesday:
Sunny intervals and scattered showers continuing to affect some coastal areas, just odd ones inland.Rain, some heavy, reaches some eastern counties later. Winds easing but still on the cool side.
Outlook for Thursday to Saturday:
Cool and showery on Thursday before heavy rain and strong winds spread southeast across all parts on Friday. Some rain in the south on Saturday, sunny spells and showers elsewhere.
