Storm Betty to bring heavy rain and 70mph winds amid UK weather warnings

Gusts up to 70mph to hit Irish sea coasts, Met Office warns

Storm Betty could bring strong winds, heavy rain and flooding across Ireland, forecasters have warned, as a yellow weather warning is also issued for other parts of the UK.

The second named storm of the year, announced by the Irish weather service, Met Éireann on Friday, is expected to lash Northern Ireland with up to 80mm of rain, along with heavy downpours and thunder.

The Met Office has said thunderstorms will also develop in southern and eastern areas of England.

It has imposed a yellow warning for wind across coastal areas of west Wales, eastern Northern Ireland and parts of northwest England and southwest Scotland.

Rain warnings have also been issued from late Friday and into Saturday for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.

Three weather warnings are in place for Friday (Met Office )

Buildings could be damaged by flooding and lightning strikes, while homes could also lose power “for a short time”. The Met Office said trees could be brought down leading to train cancellations and warned of likely travel delays.

There are currently five yellow weather warnings across the UK for Saturday.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for Saturday (Met Office)

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Friday and Saturday will see unseasonably wet and windy conditions for much of the UK. While Storm Betty will have higher impacts in Ireland, exposed Irish Sea coasts of the UK could see gusts in excess of 70mph, with around 50mph more widely.

“Storm Betty is also bringing some large accumulations of rainfall for the time of year, with some spots of Northern Ireland seeing around 80mm of rain, though between 15-25mm is expected more widely. Parts of Scotland could see similarly high accumulations, especially over higher ground.”

This weekend brings ‘unseasonably wet and windy conditions’ for most of the UK (PA)

Holidaymakers beginning their summer getaway are advised to check the Met Office app and social media channels for updates and brace themselves for longer journey times.

Marquees and tents that may be used by campers in Snowdonia could also fall down in the gusts while caravans and lorries may struggle on some roads, the Met Office warned.

Mr Kelly added: “While many within the thunderstorm warning areas may see relatively little rainfall, there is the potential for a few places to see around 20-40mm of rain within an hour, and possibly around 40-60mm over three hours.

“Large hail and frequent lightning are additional hazards for the likely overnight thunderstorms in eastern areas of England.”