Storm Claudia - Heavy rain likely to bring disruption

Continuous heavy rainfall on Friday is likely to bring widespread disruption to end the week, with flooding expected and warnings issued.

The large area of rain moves in on Thursday evening, and sits almost stationary throughout Friday, not easing until well into Saturday.

As a result, expect poor visibility on the roads, and flooding in those areas that sit under the rain band. Impacts will be particularly felt in south-east Wales, where up to 150 mm of rain is expected over higher grounds.

It won't just be the rain dampening the day, strong gusting winds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) will arrive Friday evening in eastern Ireland and western Wales.

More widely between 35 (55) - 50 mph (80 km/h) across the UK and Ireland, these winds will be felt in Scotland too where the heavy rain will not reach.

These conditions are due to the influence of Storm Claudia, named by the Spanish Met Office, which is expected to deliver up to 200 mm of rainfall in Portugal and western Spain by the weekend.