The deadly bomb cyclone that has sent temperatures plunging in the US is also inflicting wet and windy weather on the UK, the Meteorological Office said.
On Wednesday, the forecaster issued a yellow warning for heavy rain over much of Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling. It lasts for 15 hours, from 3am on Friday
The Met Office said heavy rain could bring some flooding and travel disruption.
Meteorologist Simon Partridge said the wet and windy weather was being caused by the bomb cyclone in the US.
“The UK weather is going to remain unsettled, with further spells of wet and windy weather due to the strengthening of the jet stream because of the weather in the US,” Mr Partridge said.
But he said that the effect on the UK would be “nowhere near” as significant as it was on the US.
“The effect it’s having on the UK is nowhere near as dramatic because that system has brought up a lot of cold air further south, across the US,” Mr Partridge said.
"Indeed, the cyclone is only having an effect on the UK due to its impact on the North Atlantic jet stream.
“What effect it has had is to strengthen the jet stream because the jet stream is basically driven by temperature differences.
“So the starker the difference in temperature between the northern edge of it and southern edge, the stronger the jet stream becomes.”
US winter weather - in pictures
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The sun rises over Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday. AFP -
Abandoned cars after being towed to a parking lot following a storm in Buffalo. Reuters -
National Guard members check on residents on Wednesday in Buffalo. AP -
Dozens were found dead after a winter storm in Buffalo. AP -
Passengers were scarce at the Southwest Airlines check-in counter at Baltimore Washington International Airport after the carrier cancelled another 3,000 flights for the day. EPA -
Southwest has cancelled almost 11,000 flights since a storm hit the US. EPA -
A traveller retrieves luggage at San Francisco International Airport in California on Tuesday. Bloomberg -
Rain begins to fall near the Van Nuys court in southern California, on Tuesday. AP -
Leaves cover the South Fork Trail bike path in Santa Clarita, California, on Tuesday, before an expected storm. AP -
A pick-up truck is driven through a flooded junction in Salinas, California. AP -
Cars are stopped in the northbound lanes of Highway 101 after flooding closed the major road near Chualar, California. AP -
Abandoned vehicles in the streets of Buffalo during the US's 'blizzard of the century'. AFP -
Dangerous driving conditions caused many drivers to abandon vehicles in Buffalo, New York. AFP -
Buffalo bore the brunt of damage from a blizzard that stretched across vast parts of the US at the Christmas weekend. AFP -
Snow blankets the city of Buffalo. AFP -
Snow blankets the city of Buffalo. Reuters -
There were driving bans as heavy snow blanketed parts of Erie County in New York. Reuters -
At least 27 people in Buffalo were confirmed to have died as a result of the storm. Reuters -
A New York state trooper pulls over a vehicle in Buffalo. AFP -
Vehicles make their way along a snow-covered street in Buffalo. AFP -
A utility worker straps a rope to a truck to try to tow it out of a snowdrift. AFP -
A resident leaves one of a few open corner shops in Buffalo. AFP -
National Grid technicians work to restore power in a part of Buffalo. AFP -
Workers attempt to repair a water line. AFP -
A digger is used to repair a water main. AFP -
A National Guard patrol in snowbound Buffalo. AFP -
Emergency crews in Buffalo were inundated with calls. EPA -
First responders on snowmobiles check on abandoned vehicles. AFP -
Vehicles were abandoned on roads throughout New York state. AFP -
A man attempts to clear his roof of snow. AFP -
A vehicle abandoned on a residential street in Buffalo. AFP -
Neighbours gather around a fire after clearing snow. AP -
The historic storm left thousands in Buffalo without power. AFP -
Utility company vehicles line up in Buffalo. The Buffalo News / AP -
Neighbours push a motorist stuck in the snow. The Buffalo News / AP
He said that as a result, the UK would have spells of wet and windy weather over the next seven to 10 days.
“So the knock-on effect is that, like today, we had a spell of wet, windy weather, and there will be further spells of wet and windy weather,” he said.
Thursday is forecast to be colder than Wednesday, with sunshine and and some heavy showers in northern Scotland and western England, and a chance of hail and thunder.
Mr Partridge said that Thursday would be a “cooler-feeling day” but “still rather windy and with showers” across the UK.
Friday to Sunday is forecast to be unsettled, with snow over the Highlands, showers and rain in southern England, and frosts and fog overnight.
“And then on Friday we’ll see another spell of wet, windy weather with milder temperatures and then similar sorts of patterns to that over the next few days," Mr Partridge said.
“So the general sort of knock-on effect of the weather in the US is that in general the UK is going to be a little bit milder than it would normally be at this time of year.”
