Storm Nelson will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of Britain tonight and into tomorrow as the unsettled weather continues in the run-up to Easter.
Blustery conditions, showers, thunder and hail will hit the UK as the low pressure system sweeps in after being named by the Spanish weather service Aemet.
This morning began wet across the North and West with hill snow in Scotland – and while eastern areas will see some sunshine, rain will later move in from the west.
Temperatures will be low across the UK today, struggling to get above 7C (45F) in Scotland, 9C (48F) in northern England and 12C (54F) in the South and Wales.
Forecasters said up to 2.8in (70mm) of rain could fall in Northern Ireland, which is under a weather warning until 10am today, while northern Scotland faces gales.
It comes as holidaymakers heading to Spain or Portugal in the coming days face a washout Easter with low temperatures – with heavy rain expected in Madrid which will make it to only 14C (57F) this week, Lisbon to 16C (61F) and Faro to 17C (63F).
People shelter umbrellas in London yesterday evening as the capital is hit by wet weather
WEDNESDAY: Blustery conditions, showers, thunder and hail will hit the UK with highs of 12C
STORM NELSON: A map by Spanish weather service Aemet showing the low pressure system
GOOD FRIDAY FORECAST: Showers and breezy conditions for Britain this Friday with 14C highs
BBC meteorologist Helen Willetts told Radio 4: ‘The low pressure that’s throwing this rain our way has now been named as Storm Nelson by the Spanish met service.
‘And it will bring some stronger winds our way as well later tonight and tomorrow.’
Over in Spain, an alert from Aemet said: ‘Storm Nelson, recently named by Aemet, will give rise in the coming days to strong gusts of wind and rain in large areas of the territory in a period of great social relevance such as Holy Week.
The storm has not been named by the UK’s Met Office, which last named Storm Jocelyn on January 22. The next storm in the UK series, which runs until the end of this August, will be Kathleen.
The UK is facing a typical mix of spring weather in the run-up to Easter – with downpours, strong winds and sunshine all expected over the coming days.
Unsettled conditions will remain for much of this week, with low pressure bringing rain from the West.
The Met Office said rain and hill snow will move north across Scotland and Northern Ireland today, with brighter spells and showers following behind.
Meanwhile in England and Wales, a band of showery rain will move east although there will also be some sunny spells.
Tonight will bring clear spells and scattered heavy showers at first, with much of Scotland becoming dry overnight.
GOOD FRIDAY: The Met Office has warned of ‘unsettled’ weather for much of Europe this week
EASTER SATURDAY: Spain and Portugal are likely to see thunderstorms and strong winds
But showers will continue in Northern Ireland, and rain will begin to fall again across England and Wales.
Bright spells will follow tomorrow, especially in Scotland – but showery rain will move north across most areas and there could be hail and thunder in the South, where it will also be very windy.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Helen Caughey said: ‘It’s another very unsettled week for much of the UK, with heavy, blustery showers, longer spells of rain and also some strong winds.’
‘In terms of hazards in the current forecast, we’re continuing to keep an eye on some of the expected rainfall totals as they build up through the week, with some places, including Northern Ireland, still quite sensitive to rainfall amounts due to the wet winter many have experienced.
‘We will also need to monitor the winds with the potential for gales to develop around some coastal areas of the north at first, then later for some south and southwestern areas, especially as these may coincide with some high tides.’
The Met Office said it was still confirming the forecast for the Easter weekend, but Good Friday will likely be another day of blustery showers, most frequent in the South and West.
SPAIN — Huge waves at Puerto De La Cruz in Tenerife yesterday as Storm Nelson hits Spain
PORTUGAL — Big waves strike the beach of Nazare in Portugal yesterday amid Storm Nelson
Saturday will then see the showers continue in the South and West, but there will be an increasing chance of brighter spells further north and east.
Sunday currently looks to be the best day of the Easter weekend. However, conditions are expected to become more unsettled from the South later that day and into Easter Monday, which is likely to be unsettled for many areas.
Ms Caughey continued: ‘Showers will continue into the weekend, especially for southern and western areas.
‘However, it is likely that we will see something of an improvement for most areas, with showers tending to become less frequent, and a better chance of longer spells of sunshine for eastern and northern areas in particular.
‘It will also become less windy, and temperatures should start to trend upwards, feeling quite warm in any sunshine.
‘However, more widely unsettled conditions look likely to return into Easter Monday, but there is still some uncertainty in the timing of this deterioration.’