UK weather: Met Office warns Hurricane Kirk could bring pummeling rain and lashing winds

Brits are being warned to brace themselves as the remnants of Hurricane Kirk could bring heavy rain and strong gales as it heads towards the UK after crossing the Atlantic.

Forecasters at the Met Office are keeping a close eye on the second half of next week when more unsettled weather is expected to hit the country as the ex-hurricane approaches, possibly making landfall here.

Having trawled across the Atlantic, Hurricane Kirk will have lost much of its oomph by the time it arrives on British turf, but that doesn't mean it won't pack a punch.

The Met Office's Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson warned: "Hurricane Kirk is currently in the tropical Atlantic. It is expected to move north into cooler waters, where it will lose a lot of its strength, but maintain its identity as a moderately deep low pressure system.

"There are complex processes involved when a hurricane undergoes what is known as 'extra tropical transition'. This results in a lot of variability in the forecast, which means that predictability is low at longer lead times. Therefore, confidence in any one scenario is very low."

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Wisson also outlined the possibilities, saying: "There are a few apparent scenarios. One scenario suggests that this low pressure system could come close to, or even cross, the UK by Wednesday or Thursday next week.

"This would lead to heavy rain and strong winds in places. Another scenario is for the low pressure system to stay further west in the mid-Atlantic, keeping much of the associated rain and wind away from the UK. Other possibilities are also apparent, but we need to wait until we have more information, to determine which scenario will win out."

Should that happen, we're looking at a deluge of rain and fierce winds, according to the Manchester Evening News. But there's another potential outcome where the storm stays put over the mid-Atlantic, sparing the UK from the worst of the weather.

According to Wisson, other paths might emerge, but meteorologists are holding back until they gather more data before forecasting which situation will prevail. Should the system cross the UK, it would keep its Atlantic name and be referred to as 'ex-Hurricane Kirk'.

However, before then, the UK is set to enjoy some more settled, drier weather due to an area of high pressure currently centred on the north.

This will bring sunny spells across Scotland and Northern Ireland, moving southwards across England and Wales on Thursday.

The weather will become wetter over the weekend. In Greater Manchester, it's expected to remain dry until Sunday, with temperatures reaching up to 16c.