Brits planning Bonfire Night celebrations ought to wrap up warm and get their fireworks out of the way before the weekend, forecasters have warned, before 80mph gales sweep the country.
The weather is expected to play ball for firework displays on Friday evening, for the first Bonfire Night since 2019 that people across the UK have been able to celebrate with a little more freedom.
A wind warning has been issued for northern parts of Scotland for the weekend, while Tropical Storm Wanda threatens to bring blustery conditions next week.
According to Met Office forecaster Matthew Box, Friday night’s weather will be “rather cloudy” but for most, a fairly dry affair.
Patchy rain was expected in the north and the west of the UK; across Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, while it will be drier elsewhere.
Highs of 13C are expected but anybody attending a display will be advised to wrap up warm as this could drop as low as 6C.
The temperature could even fall to -3C in parts of the country at times this weekend, making it chillier than Iceland.
It plunged to about -3C in the early hours of Friday morning.
The chill comes as the Met Office hints at snowfall arriving from November 17 to December 1.
While Friday night could also be a little breezy, Matthew said gusts weren’t expected to be strong enough to disrupt Bonfire Night celebrations.
Moving into the weekend, Saturday will be a wet and windy day for much of the UK. Rain would arrive overnight on Friday and on Saturday morning and was expected to be heavier, once again, in northern and western regions.
“The rain will be spreading south-eastwards, followed by showers, and a windy day for all,” Matthew said.
The gusts would hit the north-west of the UK hardest, he said, with a wind warning having been issued for later on Saturday and heading into Sunday.
“It will be particularly windy for parts of Scotland during Saturday evening and overnight, when we could see gusts of up to 80mph," Matthew said.
“So if there are any late bonfire nights that someone is having over the weekend, on the 6th, that might obviously affect people’s plans.
“Something to be aware of, especially for those areas the warning is out for,” he said.
Tropical Storm Wanda, spinning in the mid-Atlantic, is behind the winds expected to be felt in the UK, a US National Hurricane Centre map suggests.
The wind warning started at 8pm on Saturday and was valid until 5pm on Sunday.
The rain was expected to clear for most by Sunday morning, with sunny spells expected towards the end of the weekend for some areas.
Temperatures are expected to drop as the weekend draws to a close, Matthew said, with a cold front coming through behind the wet weather.
UK weather forecast
Friday
Fairly cloudy with some bright spells, best of these in the east and at first in the south.
Some patchy rain, mostly in the west and far north with the odd heavier burst.
A little milder than Thursday for most.
Friday night
Mostly cloudy with some sporadic rain in western parts.
This becoming more widespread and heavier for north and west Scotland overnight along with strengthening winds.
Much milder than recent nights.
Saturday
Rain over Scotland, sometimes heavy, moving southwards but likely easing as it reaches the south later.
Windy, particularly in the north with coastal gales, locally severe later in far north.
Sunday to Tuesday
Sunny spells Sunday, but windy in the north with showers.
Rain across the north Monday gradually transferring south Tuesday, staying mainly dry in the south.
Showers following across the north.
