UK weather maps show exact date most of Britain 'disappears' under 590-mile 'mega-storm'

A vast stretch of the UK, from the Isle of Mull to Dover, is set to be drenched as a wet and windy front moves in from the Atlantic. Weather maps have suggested that parts of the country could see warm and settled conditions upended by Hurricane Erin, expected to hit parts of Britain next week. New weather maps from WXCharts, generated on August 21 using Met Deskdata, suggest a huge 590-mile expanse will usher in a disruptive end to the month. The maps suggest that heavy rainfall and winds of up to 30km/hour will begin to take effect from the early hours of Friday, August 29.

The blanket of extreme weather is shown stretching all the way from western Scotland to the southern-most English coast by around 6am, with parts of West Yorkshire hammered by 3.5mm of rainfall per hour. By 12pm, conditions are predicted to intensify in Scotland, with rainfall exceeding 10mm per hour, and showers spreading across southern regions, with almost the entire country drenched by the early afternoon. Temperatures could also drop below 10C across the UK on August 29, with lows of 7C in northern Scotland.

It will mark a late-summer shift from the high temperatures and dry conditions that have characterised the UK season, which meteorologists have said could be one of the hottest on record.

While category-three Hurricane Erin has is expected to cause chaos on the US east coast, it's unlikely to have as severe an impact on Britain after moving across the North Atlantic, forecasters said.

The Met Office's Marco Petagna said: "Any remnants of the hurricane aren't expected to have an impact on the UK until early next week [but] there's uncertainty how it will play out.

"There's a risk of some rain developing, a potential that then things will turn increasingly unsettled. It's likely becoming more unsettled early to middle part of next week [but] at this stage we can't be too firm on the details."

The forecaster's long-range predictions for the period between August 25 and September 3 also warns of "an increasing chance of outbreaks of rain and showers" with a higher likelihood of "breezy winds" and temperatures hovering around the seasonal average.

Today:

Cooler temperatures in the morning, although conditions are likely to remain dry with some cloud. Warmer and sunnier weather could develop throughout the day, although chilly breezes are expected along the North Sea coast.

Tonight:

Generally dry across the country, with areas of cloud, especially in the north and east. Temperatures becoming cooler again, especially when skies are clear.

Friday:

Cooler weather in the morning once again giving way to sunny and warm spells later in the day, with some light winds.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Temperatures becoming slightly warmer, with clear and sunny spells for most of the country, with a chance of light showers.