UK weather: Travel chaos warning as heavy rain and wind set to sweep Britain this weekend

9 August 2019, 10:44 | Updated: 9 August 2019, 14:30

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

The Met Office has issued a stay at home warning as heavy rain and thunderstorms hit the country.

The UK is set for a washout this weekend, as heavy winds and rain sweep across the whole country.

Winds of up to 60mph will hit parts of west Wales, south-west England and the Channel coast, while several yellow weather warnings have been put in place.

These extreme weather conditions could cause major travel chaos with motorists being urged to avoid unnecessary travel because of poor driving conditions.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “There is some fairly heavy rain and thunderstorms from Bristol, up through Wales and into Northern Ireland.

“That will transfer eastwards over the next few hours, causing poor driving conditions in places.”

Read More: UK weather: 'Danger to life' flood warning as severe thunderstorms set to batter Britain

This comes after the Boardmasters music festival in Newquay was cancelled over safety concerns due to the severe weather warnings.

Houghton dance festival in Norfolk has also been pulled, as well Dundee festival and the first day of the Blackpool Air Show.

The Met Office has said 10-15mm of rain is expected across the country, while parts of northern and eastern Scotland could see as much as 30mm.

A wind warning also covers West Wales, Devon and Cornwall, and stretches to parts of the Channel coast which is set to last from 3pm until midnight tonight.

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A second warning has also been issued for Saturday which is set to cover the whole of Wales and southern and central England as far north as Blackpool, Huddersfield and Grimsby.

Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office has said that the unseasonal wet and windy weather is thanks to low pressure building.

He said: “This low-pressure system will bring challenging conditions, including unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain, from the west during Friday and Saturday.

“Summer storms – compared with those in autumn and winter – always have the potential to create additional impacts because more people are likely to be outdoors, especially by the coast.

“Additionally with trees in full leaf they are more vulnerable to being brought down by strong winds.”