Gales and rain to hit UK after Hurricane Maria

The UK is set to experience gales and heavy rain - thanks to the tail-end effects of Hurricane Maria heading across the North Atlantic.

The weather system is heading north out of the tropics and, while hurricanes lose energy and power when not connected to warmer waters, weak effects can still be felt.

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Speaking to the Standard , Frank Saunders, duty chief meteorologist at the Met Office, explained: "Ex-Maria is likely to impact our weather towards the end of the weekend and into the beginning of next week.

"However, it is important to say that any weather impacts will be far from those experienced in the Caribbean.

According to the Telegraph, he added: "Hurricanes gain their energy from the warm tropical waters and ex-Maria will be modified significantly as it tracks over the cool North Atlantic ocean.

"Ex-Maria will still contain tropical air brought north and it is this air which has the potential to affect our weather. Our waters are far too cool to sustain an actual hurricane."

So what can we expect? It looks like the weather will become more unsettled from the end of this weekend. The Met Office forecast for the week beginning Sunday 1 October reads: "Sunday and Monday are expected to be rather wet days with spells of rain in most areas followed by brighter and showery conditions.

"It's also expected to be windy with gales likely in places. Unsettled weather will then continue during the middle of next week with spells of rain travelling eastwards, and brighter, showery weather following along behind.

"It will be windy with the risk of gales in places, particularly across northern and western coasts.

"Later on next week we may see more settled conditions develop, chiefly across southern parts which will give an increased risk of fog forming overnight.

"Temperatures will be around average, but with a chance of frost in clear spells overnight."