Storm Ashley warning as UK facing 'big one' with heavy rain and 70mph winds forecast

Hurricane Kirk could develop into the UK's first named storm of the season, and it might be "a big one", a meteorologist has claimed.

The Category 4 hurricane currently has maximum sustained winds of about 140mph, but it's expected to lose its power over the next few days and would be an ex-hurricane if it reached the UK. There's still a chance it won't reach British shores, but models are suggesting it's likely to make landfall on Wednesday or Thursday next week.

If the models are accurate, it would likely mean the first named storm of British season, and it would be called Storm Ashley, according to British Services's senior meteorological consultant Jim Dale. Ashley would bring up to three inches of heavy rain for some areas, as well as 60mph to 70mph winds, he added.

It's still a "watching brief" at the moment, and the hurricane could simply flop. But, the storm has potential to be "a proper one", he warned.

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Jim told the : "Kirk is in the mid-Atlantic and it is a hurricane - 140mph sustained winds at this moment in time. By the time it reaches the UK, it won't be that, though. It'll lose its hurricane status by some considerable distance, but it'll still probably be a named storm - Storm Ashley; the first of the season. So it'll morph from Hurricane Kirk to Storm Ashley.

"When it does arrive, it'll go through southern Ireland. Cork and these types of places will get battered by wind and rain, big style - and then it'll reach the southwest of England. It tracks through the southwest of England, through central/southern England, all the way toward Humberside within that 24-hour period. By Friday, it should be in the North Sea, pulling in a northwesterly wind behind it.

"We'll have to wait and see how much power it loses, and/or gains from the ocean. But at the moment, all the charts are suggesting it will be a big one."

Areas most at risk of feeling Kirk's effects would likely end up with two to three inches of rain, starting from Wednesday, added Jim. As the storm moves across the UK and toward the North Sea, it'll bring a heavy band of cooler wind with it.

The entire storm would last about 72 hours, starting from when the first signs of rain appear in the southwest, and ending with wintry showers on the Friday. Wales and might even see a flurry of snow as the storm pulls cold air across the country, he said.

"At the moment, it's a definite watching brief, but we are six days away from it materialising. Possibly on the back end of it, as it pulls in the cold air, there could be some snow on the mountaintops.

"But that's detail that's yet to materialise. We live in times. So, it is a proper one to be looked at as time goes on. These things can flop, but the models aren't suggesting that at the moment."

The warned there might be some disruptive weather later next week, owing to Hurricane Kirk's remnants. There's a threat of wind and rain, although the exact track of the storm is far from certain, it said.

Chris Bulmer is a Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office and said: "Kirk over the North Atlantic will lose its status as a hurricane early next week before being swept towards northwest Europe. The resulting low pressure system will still have the potential to bring disruptive rain and winds to some areas, including parts of the UK, from the middle of next week.

"There remains much detail to work out on the exact track and timing of the system. Across the UK, parts of England and Wales look to have the greatest risk of heavy rain and strong winds during Wednesday and Thursday. However, a more southward track of this system, which is equally plausible at this stage, would see the most disruptive conditions impact France. The need for warnings will be kept under review over the coming days, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast."