UK weather latest: Thunderstorms to STRIKE Britain as 60mph winds batter nation - new maps
BRITONS have seen an abrupt end to weeks of sunshine and warm weather this week, but sadly the wet and stormy weather is set to continue with cold showers and winds of up to 60mph forecast for the weekend.
BBC Weather: Heavy showers and strong winds forecast for UK
The UK has been hit by cooler, unsettled conditions over the past few days as an area of low pressure moved in from the west. The shift in the weather is set to last into the weekend, with forecasters predicting strong winds, heavy showers and even thunder and hail across parts of Britain.
BBC Weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas said: "Our cooler unsettled theme to the weather continues over the next few days.
"Expect some heavy showers and some strengthening winds as well, that will be a notable feature of the weather particularly tomorrow."
The area of low pressure will be particularly felt in the North East of the UK, with heavy downpours and winds of up to 60mph forecast.
But Ms Keith-Lucas said the whole of Britain can expect bouts of rain on Friday and into the weekend.
She said: "Nowhere is immune to seeing some showers.
"Probably heaviest and most frequent in parts of northern and eastern England where hail and thunder is quite likely. Fewer showers in the south.
"Temperatures only nine to 17C with more persistent rain across the north of Scotland.
"Gusts 35-45mph for many of us, 50 or even 60mph gusts possible at times in the far North and North West."
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The Met Office's Alex Deakin said the winds are "unusually strong" for this time of year.
He also warned the blustery showers will make it feel much cooler, even though parts of the south can expect to reach highs of 17C on Saturday.
Tonight the band of rain will travel south, soaking much of the UK.
Graphs by WXCharts show the area of low pressure spiralling down from the North East of Scotland.
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By Saturday morning the mercury will have dropped again, with Mr Deakin warning it will feel particularly chilly.
He said the band of rain will continue to track southwards on Saturday morning, reaching southern England by the afternoon.
The meteorologist said: "It's a day of heavy showers, some thunderstorms possible.
"Again, it will be quite blustery so the showers will tend to move through and the winds increasing from south west England also.
"Those winds are going to make it feel quite chilly."
Netweather forecast the mercury could struggle to rise to the teens on Saturday, marking a cold start to the weekend.
Central and eastern England can expect the heavy showers to continue into Saturday evening before the period of slow pressure slowly ebbs away.
Sunday will see a marked improvement on the weather, with lighter winds, and drier, more settled conditions.
Temperatures should start to slowly creep up again from the beginning of next week, though spells of rain will still be typical, especially for the north and the east of the UK.