Map shows where Storm Amy will hit the UK with heavy rain and strong winds

Storm Amy is making its way to the UK as the first named storm of the season.

The Met Office warns the deep area of low pressure will develop rapidly as it approaches on Friday, bringing very strong winds and heavy rain.

Yellow weather warnings have been put in place on Friday and Saturday, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, north Wales, and the north west of England – though it seems unlikely Storm Amy will hit London.

The forecaster warns poor weather could disrupt transport, power supply and outdoor activities, especially from Friday evening into Saturday morning.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tom Crabtree said: ‘Although there is still some uncertainty about the exact track Storm Amy will take, the system will bring gale force winds across northern and western regions.

‘Gusts are expected to widely reach 50-60mph inland in northern Britain, and potentially reaching 70-80mph in places, with even stronger gusts on exposed coasts and hills, mainly in the north west.

‘Heavy rainfall is also expected, in particular over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50mm in 6-9 hours, increasing the risk of localised flooding.

‘Forecasts and warnings will be updated as the situation becomes more clear, therefore it is important to keep an eye on the forecast for your area over the coming days.’

Our Storm Amy map shows where weather warnings have been put in place across the UK as we head into the weekend – but meteorologists have warned the situation could develop further.

This is thanks to the remnants of Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda over the Atlantic Ocean, which accelerated the jet stream and helped Storm Amy form and intensify.

The strong wind and heavy rain predicted for this weekend comes off the back of further yellow Met Office weather warnings in place on Thursday.

There’s a warning for rain covering western Scotland until midnight on Thursday, with another for fog covering the south east of England and parts of the Midlands until 10am.

Transport Scotland has already warned travellers to expect disruption throughout the weekend.

Martin Thomson said: ‘The rain and wind will bring difficult driving conditions, such as reduced visibility and surface water, and are also likely to affect the ferry and rail networks, so it’s important to plan your journey ahead of time.

‘Motorists should use the Traffic Scotland website before they set off to make sure that their route is available, and you should check with your operator if you are planning to travel on trains, ferries and flights.’

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