Newcastle weather: Met Office forecast for this weekend ahead in wake of Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian is currently causing widespread damage across the United States this week, but will the force of nature cause problems in Newcastle this weekend?

As Florida battens down its hatches further, the National Hurricane Centre and Central Pacific Hurricane Centre has confirmed that Hurricane Ian has wind speeds of 150mph.

With the hurricane now moving across the south-east of Florida, some might worry that the depression will make its way across the Atlantic Ocean and start to affect parts of Europe - including the UK.

With the cold weather already looming in Newcastle most mornings now, will Hurricane Ian have a knock on effect in the region?

Newcastleworld has looked at the forecast for the weekend and week ahead.

What is Hurricane Ian?

Hurricane Ian is currently a Category 1 hurricane that has so far impacted Florida, the Cayman Islands and western Cuba.

It is the ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

After strengthening into a tropical storm, it became a hurricane as it neared the Cayman Islands, before rapidly changing to a Category 3 hurricane as it made landfall in western Cuba.

It slightly weakened over land but restrengthened once it moved into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 4 hurricane early on September 28 2022 as it progressed towards the west coast of Florida.

Will Hurricane Ian affect Newcastle this weekend?

The Met Office have forecasted that Friday will see “clouds continuing to thicken with long periods of occasionally heavy rain and strong winds spreading east. Rain clearing during the late afternoon, leaving a mostly dry evening.”

Over Saturday and Sunday in Newcastle,  “windy, gales over the hills on Saturday with scattered showers and clear or sunny spells. Drier, with winds easing Sunday. Most parts dry with light winds on Monday.”

Forecast for the rest of next week

The Met Office has advised that next week will see Newcastle “a mixture of sunny spells and showers or longer periods of rain is expected at the start of October.”

“A northwest/southeast split in weather conditions is likely through the first half of next week, with cloud and occasionally heavy rain in the northwest, and drier conditions in the southeast.”