FORECASTERS from the Met Office say there is 'potential' for National Severe Weather Warnings to be issued this weekend.

It comes as this week gets off to a windy start, before a band of high pressure brings settled weather and much lighter winds from Wednesday (February 5).

However, the calmer conditions aren't set to last.

This weekend, low pressure returns once again, bringing with it a spell of wet and very windy weather that looks likely to last well into next week.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale, said: “It’s a windy day for the northern half of the UK on Monday and we’ve issued a yellow wind warning for western Scotland on Monday evening, where gusts could reach 80mph at times.

“Tuesday will then start off windy for most with coastal gales in places, before winds ease from the north later in the day.

High pressure will build across the UK on Wednesday with much lighter winds and settled weather forecast for most for the rest of the working week.

With clear spells overnight, frosts are set to develop quite widely along with patchy fog or freezing fog.

A gradual change to more unsettled conditions is then expected from the west of the country through Friday, heralding an increasingly wet and windy spell of weather over the weekend.

Deputy chief meteorologist, Dan Harris, added: “Although still a long way off in forecast terms, there are relatively strong signals for very unsettled weather arriving this weekend, and probably continuing well into next week.

"Along with a spell of heavy rain, widespread gales are likely, and severe gales are possible in more exposed parts of the west and north of the UK. "There is potential for National Severe Weather Warnings to be issued, so we are advising people to keep a close eye on the latest forecast and updates from the Met Office.”

The Met Office's National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS) warns of the impacts caused by severe weather.

The weather warnings include a level of impact that the forecast weather is expected to bring and the likelihood of those impacts occurring, and have an impact level of either; very low, low, medium or high.

For more details, visit: www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/guides/severe-weather-advice