The first named storm of the season is expected to hit the UK this weekend with “severe gales” and heavy rain leading to potentially widespread flooding.

Two bad weather fronts are blowing in from the Atlantic, with the first expected to bring showers Friday evening that could worsen existing flooding threats.

The second – named Storm Ashley – will bring “very strong and gusty southerly winds” of up to 80 mph on Sunday, forecasters say.

Much of southern England and the Midlands woke up to dense fog on Friday, with delays expected for road traffic and public transport.

Flood warnings had already been issued following heavy rain on Thursday.

Nearly 50 flood alerts have been in place across the country, designating areas where rivers and waterfronts are expected to overflow their banks.

Flooding is expected in a number of areas in northern England and around the Wales-England border, with a particularly high concentration of warnings in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

There are also more than 150 flood alerts – designating areas where flooding is possible – across the country.

They include stretches of the River Thames from London to Wiltshire, as well as around 30 sites along the south and east coast of England.

As the ground is already saturated with water in these areas, tonight’s rains are likely to increase the risk of flooding.

The Met Office says temperatures will be “rather mild despite the wind and rain”, with the mercury hovering around 15 on Friday.

Saturday will be a respite for most areas, with only a few showers expected to interrupt clearings and lighter winds “for all”, forecasters added.

The weather is then expected to become “wet and windy on Sunday with gales or gales expected” as Storm Ashley makes landfall early in the morning and gradually blows eastwards.

The strongest winds are expected in Scotland, northwest England, northwest Wales and Northern Ireland, where a yellow warning for wind is in force on Sunday.

The Met Office said there is a “low risk” of injury and death from flying debris in these areas.

Other risks include damage to buildings, power outages and transport disruptions.

The alert is in effect until around noon on Monday, while the heaviest showers are expected to have subsided by then.

Forecasters expect the rest of the week to “remain generally unsettled, with showers or longer periods of rain.”

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