Gales reaching 55mph could batter England on Friday as Hurricane Ian brings a torrent of wet and windy weather to the UK.

Ian, which has been declared one of the most dangerous storms to hit America in years, has left millions without power in Florida and storm waters surging inland on the other side of the Atlantic.

But while over in the US it has now been downgraded to a category one storm after arriving on land, the jet stream - strengthened by the warm tropical air that has been pushed northwards by Hurricane Ian - is about to draw in an area of low pressure across the UK on Friday that will bring with it strong gale-force winds and heavy rain.

Described as a 'fast moving system', the bad weather will begin in the north west of the country before quickly travelling south during Friday.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, Chris Almond, said: "The fast-moving system will bring strong gale force winds, locally in excess of 60mph, and heavy rain into the northwest before pushing quickly southeast through the day.

"We could see some minor impacts, such as surface water flooding or minor wind damage, as well as some short-lived impacts on ferry crossings, especially in exposed areas of western Scotland and eastern areas of Northern Ireland.

"Later in the day, parts of southeast England could experience winds of around 55mph, which may impact the English Channel too."

At the start of this month the Met Office unveiled its chosen storm names for the next year with Betty, Fleur, Daisy and Nelly all making the cut.

While Friday's forecast bad weather hasn't so far been given its own moniker those on the road or relying on public transport are being advised to keep up to date with real-time journey information if they need to travel in the event that the strong winds do cause some disruption.

Andy Butterfield, Customer Services Director for Operations at National Highways, said: "It’s always a good idea to plan your journey in advance which is particularly important if you are travelling on routes you are not familiar with.

"Checking the weather forecast before you travel can help you determine whether it might be worth delaying a journey if bad weather is forecast or at the very least to understand the traffic conditions."

Rain or showers will continue in the south on Saturday, says the Met Office, while there will be sunny spells and heavy, more blustery showers elsewhere. Sunday looks more settled and might provide the best of the weekend weather, say forecasters.