Heavy winds of up to 45mph and heavy rain to hit Norfolk

According to a spokesman at Weatherquest, strong winds and rain of up to 10mm will hit the region from 7pm on Friday (September 30) night into the early hours of Saturday (October 1) morning.

He said: "It will be a wet start to the weekend with a period of rain and gusty winds across Norfolk."

It comes as the Met Office warned parts of the UK could be hit by strong gale force gusts of up to 60mph in places.

Chris Almond, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said the weather will bring a much "wetter and windier" spell.

He said: “The fast-moving system will bring strong gale force winds, locally in excess of 60mph, and heavy rain into the northwest before pushing quickly southeast through the day.

"Later in the day, parts of southeast England could experience winds of around 55mph, which may impact the English Channel too.”

But the weather is due to brighten up as the weekend progresses with the Weatherquest forecaster adding the county is anticipated to be largely dry after the disruptive start.

He added: "Saturday night will be dry with clear spells, while Sunday is cloudier but with sunny intervals and just a small chance of a shower."

Flooding may affect parts of the country on Friday after torrential downpours, while a jet stream bringing low pressure will swoop in from the west coast, leading to possible wind damage.

Hurricane Ian has rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast with top winds of 155mph, just short of the most dangerous Category 5 status, with the Met Office suggesting its impact will be felt across the Atlantic.

With autumn underway, Andy Butterfield, customer services director for operations at National Highways, believes it is a "good idea" to plan journeys in advance.

“Checking the weather forecast before you travel can help you determine whether it might be worth delaying a journey if bad weather is forecast or at the very least to understand the traffic conditions," he said.