Weekend storm brings heavy rain and gales across the UK

A band of low pressure will bring heavy rain and strong winds across large parts of the United Kingdom this weekend, forecasters said, with the worst conditions expected on Sunday and into early Monday. The Met Office has issued a 12 hour yellow warning for heavy rain in eastern parts of Northern Ireland from midnight to midday on Sunday, and weather models show coastal and southern counties are likely to face the heaviest downpours and gales.

Meteorological data from Metdesk and map analyses from weather model providers indicate a fast-moving system pushing north from the south and southwest. Rain rates of up to about 17 millimetres in three hours are shown in the most intense bands, with some local totals widely expected to reach 20 to 30 millimetres and isolated upland areas such as the Mourne Mountains forecast to see as much as 60 to 100 millimetres by early Sunday. Wind gusts along parts of the southern coastline are likely to reach about 45 miles per hour, with the strongest winds shifting to westerly later in the night and easing as the system pushes into the North Sea.

Northern Ireland is likely to see prolonged heavy rain on Saturday night that clears eastwards on...