UK weather: 70mph winds to blast the country as heavy rain and ‘increasing risk’ of snow forecast

Strong winds with gusts of up to 70mph are set to blast the UK today as the Met Office warns more unsettled weather is on the way.

Yellow warnings for wind have been issued for Wednesday (12 April), covering Northern Ireland, London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales.

The national forecaster said strong winds with severe coastal gales could hit the south and west, and the blast of cold air could even see an “increasing risk of snow over the higher ground for parts of the UK, especially in the north”.

The Met Office added: “West or north-west winds are expected to increase during Wednesday morning, then remain strong for much of the day.

“Gusts of 40 to 50mph are expected widely within the warning area, but some coastal areas, especially in parts of south and west Wales and Cornwall, could see gusts above 60 to 70mph during Wednesday morning. Outbreaks of heavy rain or showers will accompany the strong winds.”

A blast of cold air into Wednesday morning could also see an “increasing risk of snow over the higher ground for parts of the UK, especially in the north”, according to the forecaster.

Parts of Northern Ireland may have to deal with gusts of 45 to 50mph at times inland and 60mph along northern coasts by Wednesday afternoon.

The strong winds, low temperatures and heavy rain or showers is due to an Atlantic low-pressure system slowly moving eastwards across the UK.

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said snow is likely to fall over parts of upland Scotland overnight into Wednesday.

He said: “Some disruption due to strong winds is likely on Wednesday, especially in southern and western areas, as well as the potential for heavy rainfall and even some snow, though the latter probably confined to high ground in the north.

“It will be another cool day with temperatures of 7C to 10C in the west, with 11C to 13C possible in the south-east. However, it will feel colder in the strong winds.”

People have been warned to expect some difficult travel conditions with unsettled conditions set to last for the rest of the week.

Sunshine and heavy showers will be expected for many across the country on Thursday (13 April) while persistent rain is forecast in the south on Friday (14 April). It is then forecast to become drier and brighter into the weekend, and temperatures may start to rise next week.