MET OFFICE ISSUES YELLOW WIND WARNING FOR NORTH-WEST SCOTLAND

A weather system carrying the remnants of Hurricane Isaias is set to bring gales, heavy rain and warm air to the UK this week, the Met Office said. Forecasters issued a yellow wind warning for the Highlands and Western Isles, running from 10:00 to 19:00 on Wednesday. Gusts of 50 to 60mph are expected within the warning area, potentially reaching 70mph on exposed coasts and hills around midday. Shetland, outside the warning zone, is also forecast to see gusts of around 50mph, though the Met Office said the risk of disruption there is lower.

Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season, made landfall in the southern US last Friday before weakening rapidly. Its remnants crossed the Atlantic and were drawn into a powerful jet stream, which meteorologists said generated a new area of low pressure undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, or a weather bomb. The jet stream is steering the storm's centre hundreds of miles from the UK, passing close to Iceland, where it is expected to bring blizzards. Wind gusts between Iceland and the Faroe Islands could exceed 110mph, far higher than forecasts for the UK.

The Met Office said the warning carries a risk of disruption to rail, air and ferry services, delays on roads and bridges for high-sided vehicles, and possible short-term power cuts. Gusts of around 40mph are also possible elsewhere in Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north-west Wales. Heavy rain is forecast across Scotland and Northern Ireland, while England and Wales are expected to stay largely dry with spells of sunshine. The same low-pressure system is also set to bring a surge of warm air, pushing temperatures above average for many parts of the country.