Coastal gales set to hit miles of British coastline before rain sweeps in

Gales are battering exposed coastlines across Britain with the heaviest and most persistent downpours set to hit the northeast of the country.

The wet weather is spreading inland from windward shores through the course of the day, although conditions are expected to improve from the west as sunny intervals develop.

Breezy winds are accompanying temperatures sitting around the seasonal average.

However, any respite will prove short-lived, as a band of rain is forecast to reach the far northwest of the UK later this evening.

Overnight, that rain system will track from the northwest towards the southeast, bringing heavy falls to western and northern regions.

Gusty showers will follow behind in the north and northwest, although it should remain generally mild through the night.

Thursday will see the remnants of that rain clearing the southeast of England by early afternoon, making way for brighter spells mixed with scattered showers across the rest of the country.

Northern areas will bear the brunt of the unsettled conditions, with the most frequent showers expected there alongside powerful gusts.

Coastal gales are possible along northern shorelines, posing a potential hazard for exposed stretches of the British coast.

Temperatures will split along a north-south divide, with the northwest feeling noticeably cooler while the southeast holds closer to the seasonal norm.

The blustery theme fits a broader pattern identified by BBC Weather, which noted the jet stream's positioning is steering low-pressure systems towards the UK, bringing periods of rainfall and "potentially, some rather blustery winds" in the days ahead.

The outlook for the remainder of the week suggests little let-up from the changeable conditions with Friday set to begin with blustery weather, sunny intervals and showers, the heaviest once again falling across northern parts, before a further band of rain pushes eastward as the day progresses.

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Saturday will maintain the windy theme, with rainfall concentrated across southern England.

Sunday, however, offers the prospect of calmer and more settled weather at last.

The Met Office's broader forecast for the period running from September 18 to 27 points to a continuation of this unsettled pattern.

Rain and showers are arriving periodically from the North Atlantic, most frequently across northern and western parts of the UK, where strong winds will also be possible at times.

The incoming rainfall arrives against a backdrop of severe water shortages, with three-quarters of England still officially classified as being in drought despite recent wet spells.

The National Drought Group confirmed following its Tuesday meeting no areas have had their drought status lifted.

Across England, 10 water companies currently have usage restrictions in force, affecting some 30 million households and businesses.

Those firms include Thames Water, Southern Water, Anglian Water and South West Water, among others.

Reservoir storage remains roughly a fifth below where it ought to be at this point in the year.

Of the 31 reservoirs or reservoir groups monitored by the Environment Agency, twelve are less than half full, with eight classified as exceptionally low.

Underground water levels are also continuing to fall, requiring months of sustained wet weather to fully recover.

Environment Agency research presented at the meeting showed the country requires 120 per cent of its typical rainfall over the coming seven months for every region to emerge from drought.

Even under the most probable weather scenario, Devon and Cornwall along with East Anglia are projected to remain in drought conditions through to April 2027.

Water minister Emma Hardy said: "The recent rainfall is not yet enough to replenish all the water we've used over the last six months, and I will be carefully monitoring the actions of water companies, which will be vital as we go through the autumn."

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