End of summer? Storm Betty to batter Brits as Met Office warns of 70mph winds, with 'danger to life' in London

18 August 2023, 12:21 | Updated: 19 August 2023, 00:53

Brits are set to be drenched next week as Storm Betty batters much of the country, with the Met Office issuing a "danger to life" warning for a separate storm over London.

Many people in the UK have been enjoying a brief glimpse of the sun this week amid a very wet summer.

But the warm weather appears to be coming to an end for much of the country, as Storm Betty approaches.

Betty is the second named storm of this August "and is likely to bring very strong winds, and some heavy and thundery downpours to parts of the UK," the Met office said, as it issued a yellow warning for wind and rain on Friday and Saturday.

The storm, which is approaching from the Atlantic, will hit the west of England, Scotland and Wales hard, although Ireland will have a greater impact.

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Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: "Friday and Saturday will see unseasonably wet and windy conditions for much of the UK.

"While Storm Betty will have higher impacts in Ireland, exposed Irish Sea coasts of the UK could see gusts in excess of 70mph, with around 50mph more widely.

"Storm Betty is also bringing some large accumulations of rainfall for the time of year, with some spots of Northern Ireland seeing around 80mm of rain, though between 15-25mm is expected more widely.

"Parts of Scotland could see similarly high accumulations, especially over higher ground."

The Met Office has also issued a thunderstorm warning for London and the south-east on Friday and Saturday.

"There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes or hail," forecasters said.

"There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

"Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. There is a small chance that some communities become temporarily cut off by flooded roads.

"There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost."

The first named storm of August was called Antoni.