45 weather warnings as Storm Gertrude hits UK - be thankful our region misses them all!

Heavy rain, high winds, snow and ice are set to cause disruption across the country, with amber ‘be prepared’ and yellow ‘be aware’ warnings issued across much of the UK.

Our region should be grateful therefore that we miss all of them.

The east and south east forecast is for mainly dry and cloudy during Friday morning, but with strong southwesterly winds, perhaps reaching gale at times. Some heavy showers are possible later in the afternoon, with winds easing slightly. Maximum temperature 12°C.

It will be windy and cold Saturday, with sunshine and perhaps some showers. Winds easing overnight. Cloudy Sunday with patchy rain and light winds, and milder. Very windy with isolated showers on Monday.

Elsewhere in the country though, winds could reach 80mph in areas affected by the amber warnings and separate warnings for snow and ice could mean misery for travellers, with the Met Office warning of tricky driving conditions.

Warnings for high winds, snow, ice and heavy rain have been issued for Scotland, Northern Ireland and North West and North East England. Wales plus Yorkshire and the Humber will be affected by high winds and rain, while the wind is also expected to cause problems in the Midlands.

A Met Office spokesperson described the situation as “Complex” and said: “Parts of the UK will be subject to severe weather patterns with snow, wind, ice and rain.

“However, this precipitation should be lighter by the middle of the weekend.”

The Met Office warn travellers in affected areas to be aware of the potential for disruption to travel.