UK weather: Hurricane Ophelia to bring 25C sunshine before storm hits as Met Office warns of 'danger to life'

Record-breaking Hurricane Ophelia will bring warm weather to parts of the UK today before the severe tropical storm makes landfall on Monday.  

The Met Office has warned of a "danger to life from flying debris" with 80mph winds expected in coastal areas, particularly in Northern Ireland, as the remnants of the hurricane hits.

However some areas will enjoy sunny spells as a result of the hurricane barreling towards the UK, as the tail end of the Ophelia drags warm air from the continent with it.

Luckier parts of the UK will see temperatures rising to 25C today and escape the worst of the extreme weather.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “The east side of the country certainly benefiting from some warmer temperatures into the weekend and at the start of next week.”

But Monday will see a spell of "very windy weather" sweeping across western parts of the UK, according to the Met Office which has issued a yellow warning for wind early next week.

Follow the hurricane's path 

They have warned about potential power cuts, damage to buildings and the possibility of disruption to transport and mobile phone networks.

“A spell of very windy weather is likely on Monday in association with ex-Ophelia,” they said.

“Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journeys times and cancellations possible.

“Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

“Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs could happen, perhaps leading to injuries and danger to life from flying debris.

“Coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities may be affected by spray and/or large waves.”

It will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987.

Ophelia is the farthest east that a major hurricane has ever been in the Atlantic. The previous record was held by Frances in 1980, according to CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink.

The hurricane strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it passed near the Portuguese Azores archipelago on Saturday en route for Ireland.

"We have informed the American hurricane centre that Ophelia has become Category 3, but that doesn't change our levels of alert," said Elsa Vieira, from the Portuguese Meteorological Institute's (IPMA) regional service.

Ophelia. packing winds in excess of 100 kilometres per hour, was "now a major hurricane", Philip Klotzbach, a hurricane specialist at Colorado State University, said.

The Miami-based US National Hurricane Centre said Friday that Ophelia was forecast to produce total rain accumulations of two to four inches (51 to 101 millimetres) over the southeastern Azores through Saturday.

The rainfall could trigger flooding, it warned.