(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
Heavy rain and powerful winds are set to sweep across Darlington and County Durham today as Storm Boelo arrives, bringing strong gusts of up to 47mph.
The weather is expected to deteriorate quickly through Saturday (October 24), with the Met Office forecasting a largely dry start in Darlington before persistent rain and increasingly strong winds move in.
The chance of rain rises from less than five per cent at 9am to 60 per cent by 11am, before reaching 95 per cent or higher from 1pm and remaining at that level through much of the afternoon and early evening.
Winds will also strengthen considerably as the day progresses.
Gusts are forecast to rise from 19mph at 9am to 35mph at 1pm and 43mph by 3pm, before reaching 46mph at 6pm and 47mph by 11pm.
Temperatures are expected to rise from just 4C at 8am to a high of 12C at 7pm, but the wind will make conditions feel several degrees colder for much of the day.
A yellow weather warning for wind is in force for Darlington from midday on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday, according to the Met Office.
The Met Office said heavy rain would spread widely across the UK from the west through Saturday, with wind strength also building during the day.
Here is the latest hour-by-hour Met Office forecast for Darlington today:
Hour-by-hour Darlington weather forecast for Saturday
8am: 4C / Feels like 2C / Less than 5% chance of rain / 15mph gusts
9am: 6C / Feels like 4C / Less than 5% chance of rain / 19mph gusts
10am: 7C / Feels like 5C / 20% chance of rain / 24mph gusts
11am: 8C / Feels like 6C / 60% chance of rain / 28mph gusts
12pm: 9C / Feels like 6C / 80% chance of rain / 31mph gusts
1pm: 9C / Feels like 6C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 35mph gusts
2pm: 9C / Feels like 5C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 39mph gusts
3pm: 9C / Feels like 5C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 43mph gusts
4pm: 10C / Feels like 6C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 43mph gusts
5pm: 10C / Feels like 7C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 43mph gusts
6pm: 11C / Feels like 8C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 46mph gusts
7pm: 12C / Feels like 9C / 95% or greater chance of rain / 45mph gusts
8pm: 10C / Feels like 6C / 50% chance of rain / 43mph gusts
9pm: 9C / Feels like 5C / 10% chance of rain / 42mph gusts
10pm: 9C / Feels like 5C / 40% chance of rain / 44mph gusts
11pm: 9C / Feels like 6C / 80% chance of rain / 47mph gusts.
Stronger winds expected overnight
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Gusts are predicted to reach 50mph at midnight, before increasing to around 60mph at 3am and 62mph between 4am and 6am.
Rain and showers are also expected to continue, with the chance of precipitation reaching 80 to 95 per cent or higher for much of Sunday morning.
Gusts of 70mph to 80mph are possible in exposed coastal areas and on high ground elsewhere.