Brace yourselves as two separate storms are set to hit the UK this week, one after the other.

The two low pressure systems, bringing spells of very strong winds and potentially snow to the UK this week, have been officially named as storms.

Storm Dudley will cross the northern half of the UK on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, while Storm Eunice will follow, bringing with it strong winds and the chance of some snow for parts of the country on Friday.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said; “An active jet stream is driving low pressure systems across the country, both of which are likely to cause some disruption and National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued”.

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Storm Dudley

Strong winds will cross western Scotland and Northern Ireland Wednesday evening, pushing eastward to northern England overnight and through Thursday morning.

Wind gusts of 80-90 mph are possible on exposed coasts and hills of Scotland with 60-70 mph possible further inland.

Winds are then expected to ease through Thursday afternoon and evening.

Storm Eunice

The next low-pressure system will track across central areas of the UK on Friday.

Further impacts are expected from very strong winds with 60-70 mph gusts possible inland, perhaps even stronger in some places, though the strongest winds and worst-affected areas are uncertain at present.

This system is also expected to bring some heavy rain and there is a potential for some significant snowfall over hills in the Midlands and further north.

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National Highways Head of Road Safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys and consider if their journey is necessary and can be delayed until conditions improve.

“If you do intend to travel, then plan your journey and take extra care, allowing more time for your journey.

“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down.

“Drivers of other vehicles should be aware of sudden gusts of wind which can affect handling and braking, and give high-sided vehicles, caravans, and motorbikes plenty of space.

“In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow signed diversion routes.”

:: Check the latest forecast for your area on the Met Office website.