Britain is preparing itself for days of 80mph winds and torrential downpours as the Met Office raises concerns over danger to life from flying debris.
A yellow warning for rain and wind was issued on Wednesday for the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It comes into affect from 3pm on Thursday and remains in place until 6am on Sunday morning.
If the deep low pressure system is named, it will be given the title Storm Darragh - following on from storms Connall on November 27 and Bert on November 22.
Meteorologists warned of travel disruption with bad conditions expected to impact road, rail, air and ferry services - while homes and businesses could be flooded.
Buildings could also be damaged by tiles blown from roofs, while spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions for motorists and some road closures.
Power cuts and mobile phone coverage outages could occur, communities may become cut off by flooded roads and some routes and bridges could close.
Forecasters also said injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.
A new Met Office rain and wind warning is in place from Thursday at 3pm until Sunday at 6am
The Met Office currently has three possible scenarios for the incoming storm this Friday
There is also a separate wind warning for 70mph gusts from 3pm tomorrow until 6am on Friday
A Met Office wind warning for northern Scotland runs from 4pm today until 9am tomorrow
And they warned of a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life and a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris.
The Met Office said the system may cross England and Wales from Friday afternoon, bringing a bring a period of strong winds to much of the warning area, with some heavy rain likely to the north and west of the low centre.
Met Office rain and wind warning for this weekend
The Met Office has issued a rain and wind warning from Thursday at 3pm until Sunday at 6am, covering the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Here are the details in the alert:
Strong winds and heavy rain potentially leading to some disruption.
- There is a small chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected
- There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
- There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads
- There is a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris
- There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life
- There is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close
A deep low may cross England and Wales from Friday afternoon, clearing to the east Saturday night.
The low may bring a period of strong winds to much of the warning area, with some heavy rain likely to the north and west of the low centre, and some hill snow in the north (above about 200 metres).
Around 15-25 mm of rain may fall quite widely, more particularly across central, northern and western parts of England and Wales, with exposed higher ground in the north and west (particularly parts of Wales, which are at greatest risk of seeing flooding impacts) perhaps locally seeing closer to 50-70 mm.
Winds may quite widely gust to around 40-50mph inland but locally could gust in excess of 60mph, whilst around coasts, winds may gust to 60-70mph, perhaps locally nearer 80mph.
The wind and rain may cause disruption to travel, with difficult driving conditions likely.
The warning added that exposed higher ground in the north and west - particularly parts of Wales, which are at greatest risk of seeing flooding impacts – could locally see 50mm (2in) to 70mm (2.8in).
Winds are expected to quite widely gust to around 40 to 50mph inland but locally could gust in excess of 60mph.
Around coasts, winds may gust to 60 to 70mph, perhaps locally nearer 80 mph.
The warning added: The wind and rain may cause disruption to travel, with difficult driving conditions likely.
The storm will then clear to the east on Saturday night.
The Met Office advises people to take steps to protect their property from strong winds and says: Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them. Items include bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences.
It adds in the warning: If you are on the coast, stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves. Even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea.
Mike Silverstone, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: While there is still uncertainty about the track and depth of the low pressure, Friday night and Saturday will be wet and very windy across parts of the UK.
Some model solutions have the low pressure further north and much deeper, bringing very strong winds and heavy rain, whilst other model solutions have the low pressure further south and not as deep, still bringing unsettled weather but not as impactful.
Given the potential for disruption from this system, it is important to keep up to date with the latest forecast. National Severe Weather Warnings are likely to be updated as certainty around the unsettled weather increases.
Separately, the Met Office has also issued a wind warning for northern Scotland running from 4pm today until 9am tomorrow amid forecasts of 75mph gusts.
Another wind warning for 70mph gusts is also in place from 3pm tomorrow until 6am on Friday, covering parts of the Midlands and North West of England as well as North Wales, Northern Ireland and South West Scotland.
It comes after much of Britain woke up to frost this morning with sub-zero temperatures across England and a yellow warning for ice in Scotland.
Other English counties falling below -1C overnight were Surrey (Charlwood), Hampshire (Odiham) and Dorset (Hurn), while London dropped to 1C (34F).
Meanwhile the Environment Agency still has 41 flood alerts and five warnings in place for England today after torrential downpours from Storm Bert ten days ago.
Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota said this morning: Another cool and bright start to the day, but it is all change as we head through this afternoon.
We do have a strong westerly jet stream pushing an area of low pressure across the UK through Wednesday afternoon, and then we do see a further frontal system pushed on this strong westerly jet as we head through Thursday.
This is setting up for quite an unsettled end to the week with further frontal systems pushing through.
Scotland will get up to 7C (45F), while Northern Ireland will reach 9C (48F).
Ms Bokota said: A fairly bright start to the day, but there is a yellow ice warning in force with parts of Scotland through this morning.
Elsewhere, fairly hazy sunshine around but a largely fine day ahead of this frontal system pushing into parts of Northern Ireland and North West Scotland as we head into the early part of the afternoon.
Winds strengthening here and itll be turning generally quite cloudy and blustery. With those winds and those higher temperatures with that southerly flow, we start to get some milder air moving in.
So temperatures a touch higher at 10C or 12C across the far South West, but it still be fairly cool down the East Coast. Still holding on single figures and still feeling fairly cool and crisp here.
A band of heavy rain and strong winds will move into Northern Ireland and Scotland this afternoon, possible gales across the North West of Scotland where the warning is in place.
Ms Bokota continued: Heading through the rest of the afternoon then, so that frontal system steadily moving eastwards as we head through the later part of the afternoon and evening.
We do have a yellow wind warning in force for parts of North West and northern Scotland and later on when that front system clears through, further blustery showers moving through here as well.
Tonight, the band of rain will move south-eastwards, but clearer spells will develop behind in the North West as winds slowly ease across the West.
Ms Bokota said: Temperatures will be notably milder particularly across Scotland, up into the mid-single figures and less in the way of widespread frost.
Certainly milder across the South West, 10C or 12C to start the day and itll be a fairly damp and cool start to the day across the far South East of England.
Rain will clear the South East through tomorrow morning, but it will remain cloudy for most in the South. Heavy rain will also move into the North through tomorrow as winds pick up.
Ms Bokota explained: Itll be a damp start to the day certainly for south-eastern England and it will be a fairly miserable rush hour with that rain and that wind.
There will be a brief interlude of some drier conditions but fairly breezy through Thursday, but it wont be long before further showers and heavy rain move in from the West.
Temperatures notably milder, so around 10C or 11C across the northern half of the country, 13C or possibly 14C in the far South.
The Met Office warned conditions are likely to become more unsettled from Friday onwards, with heavy rain and strong winds at times, particularly into the weekend with gales possible.
The Environment Agency has 41 flood alerts (in amber) and five warnings (in red) in England
And Ms Bokota said: Heading through Thursday evening, that will slowly start to move away, but we do have further frontal systems arriving from Friday into Saturday - a little bit of uncertainty on this.
National Rail has also warned of possible train disruption in Scotland later this week, saying in an alert that stormy conditions may develop on Friday with potential to continue over the weekend.
However, there were no weather-related rail disruptions as of 8am this morning.