Storm Barbara will hit parts of the UK with heavy rain - here’s what to expect

Storm Barbara will bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Europe this week, and could prompt wet and windy weather conditions in parts of the UK.

The storm, named by Spain, will inflict strong winds and heavy rain on parts of Portugal and Spain on Tuesday (20 October) and Wednesday (21 October).

Will Storm Barbara hit the UK?

Although the Met Office says that Storm Barbara will probably not majorly impact the UK, it will bring some heavy rain to the south east and possibly central England on Wednesday.

There is also the potential for severe gales to affect the extreme south east of England during this period.

Alongside this, a separate low-pressure system is set to affect other areas of the UK this week, bringing gale force winds to various areas.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said that, on Tuesday, “a low-pressure system, separate to Storm Barbara, will cross Ireland and Northern Ireland bringing gale or even severe gale force winds to some exposed parts of the west and South West of the UK.”

“As we look ahead to the rest of the week, we are expecting rain or showers for many areas on Wednesday, possibly heavy and blustery in the South East. It will be quieter on Thursday but more unsettled from Friday, with spells of wet and windy weather moving in from the west,” he explained.

What will the weather be like around the UK this week?

Tuesday will see rain and strong winds in the far north, with further rain spreading across the northwest of the UK through the afternoon.

It will be mainly dry elsewhere with sunny spells and brisk winds, but there will be outbreaks of showery rain in southwest England and south Wales later.

Tuesday evening will see persistent and locally heavy rain across central and northern Scotland, with rain clearing to Northern Ireland later. Heavy and persistent rain will spread across central and southern areas after midnight.

Rain gradually will clear across northern Scotland on Wednesday, with rain across central and southern areas clearing eastwards, followed by showers. There will be strong to gale force winds in the far southeast and northwest of the UK.

What will the weather be like towards the end of the week and weekend?

Thursday (22 October) will have a cool start, but will be mainly dry with some sun.

Weather conditions will then become unsettled with periods of rain or showers. Rain showers will be heaviest on Saturday (24 October) and accompanied by very strong winds.

However, temperatures will remain around average for most areas of the UK.

What is the long-term weather forecast?

Looking further ahead to the period ending 2 November, rather unsettled conditions are expected to dominate, with outbreaks of rain and blustery showers in many parts of the UK.

The heaviest and most frequent rain is forecast across western areas, with windy conditions particularly in the northwest also posing a risk of gales or even severe gales, mainly around coastal areas.

Temperatures will be generally close to or a little below normal for the time of year.

The Met Office forecast up until the period ending 17 November predicts a generally unsettled wet and windy theme, which will then gradually transition to a more settled picture through early November, especially in the south of the UK.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, The Scotsman.