UK weather: Hurricane Kirk aftermath is set to bring heavy rain next week after Britain was hit by flash floods
Heavy rain and strong winds are set to continue battering Britain across the next few days as the remnants of Hurricane Kirk head towards the UK.
Heavy rain and strong winds are set to continue battering Britain across the next few days as the remnants of Hurricane Kirk head towards the UK.
Many Brits faced days of flash flooding earlier this week, with the torrential rain leading the Environment Agency to issue 64 red flood warnings and 157 amber flood alerts across England.
But there is no respite from the bad weather as the Met Office has now warned of highly unsettled conditions over the weekend and into next week.
These wet and windy conditions are set to be brought in by the tail end of Hurricane Kirk - which is currently in the mid-Atlantic and is expected to make its way eastwards towards Europe.
But the strength of the storm will reduce as it moves this way due to entering more northern and cooler waters, Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern says.
Following days of flash flooding, the Environment Agency issued 64 red flood warnings and 157 amber flood alerts across England
LEICESTER: Three cars have become stranded in a road after the recent heavy rain
LEICESTER: There is no respite from the bad weather as the Met Office has now warned of highly unsettled conditions over the weekend and into next week
LEICESTER: In some parts of the UK, 60-80mm of rain fell, causing travel chaos on the roads and railway lines.
As soon as the temperatures drop below 26.5C, hurricanes lose their source of fuel and die off quickly as a result.
But if the storm encounters a jet stream, which Kirk is expected to do, it could then transform into an extra tropical cyclone which could cause some issues to the UK.
Britain is already expected to see unsettled conditions in the first part of next week as an Atlantic low pressure system drifts eastwards.
The Met Office said: This will bring widely unsettled conditions, with showers or longer spells of rain, heavy and persistent at times, especially over hills.
Strong winds are possible too, with exposed and windward coastal areas prone to the strongest winds.
The theme of low pressure will continue to dominate the weather for the rest of the week, with showers or longer spells of rain.
The forecast added that this low pressure system could remain to the west of the UK but that the theme of unsettled weather is still expected to prevail.
The Met Offices Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson said: Hurricane Kirk is currently in the tropical Atlantic. It is expected to move north into cooler waters, where it will lose a lot of its strength, but maintain its identity as a moderately deep low pressure system.
Britain is already expected to see unsettled conditions in the first part of next week as an Atlantic low pressure system drifts eastwards
LONDON: Commuters attempt to shelter as they cross London Bridge in the rain earlier this week
LIVERPOOL: A drenched man in a raincoat walks past a flooded road sign on Tuesday
There are complex processes involved when a hurricane undergoes what is known as extra tropical transition.
This results in a lot of variability in the forecast, which means that predictability is low at longer lead times. Therefore, confidence in any one scenario is very low.
There are a few apparent scenarios. One scenario suggests that this low pressure system could come close to, or even cross, the UK by Wednesday or Thursday next week.
This would lead to heavy rain and strong winds in places. Another scenario is for the low pressure system to stay further west in the mid-Atlantic, keeping much of the associated rain and wind away from the UK.
Other possibilities are also apparent, but we need to wait until we have more information, to determine which scenario will win out.
