Storm Ophelia batters Britain
Waves whipped up by Hurricane Ophelia crash over the seafront in Penzance on October 16, 2017 in Cornwall, England Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Scientists are predicting Storm Brian will bring a "weather bomb" that will batter the UK with gale-force winds and heavy rain on Saturday (21 October).

The storm is forming over the Atlantic on Thursday and will arrive on the west coast of Ireland on Friday night as the nation recovers from the affects of Hurricane Ophelia.

More from IBTimes UK

The Met Éireann, the Irish Met Office, has issued an orange weather warning, with the nation once again expected to bear the brunt of the storm.

Classified by Met Éireann as a storm earlier on Thursday (19 October), its affects are predicted to be felt all across the UK with strong winds forecast for Wales, north-west England and most of southern England on the first day of many pupils' half-term holidays.

The second named storm of the season has prompted the UK Met Office has issued a yellow warning for a spell of strong south-westerly winds on Saturday, potentially causing large waves and flooding. Power cuts are also possible.

Dan Suri, chief forecaster at the Met Office, told the Guardian: "Storm Brian is expected to bring strong winds to southern and western areas early on Saturday morning.

"The first and most significant land-based impacts will be in the south-west of Ireland, hence the amber warning from Met Éireann. At the moment, we don't expect the same level of impacts for the UK.

"Gusts exceeding 50mph are expected widely within the warning area, with gusts of around 70mph along exposed coastal areas.

"These are expected to coincide with high tides, leading to locally dangerous conditions in coastal parts."

The weather warning system comes days after Ireland was battered by Hurricane Ophelia which caused widespread disruption to Ireland, northern England and Scotland, leaving three people dead.

In September the first UK-named storm of the season Storm Aileen left thousands of homes without power.

This time gusts of 50-60 mph are expected inland with 70 mph winds in coastal areas, which, according to the Met Office, should expect large waves and potential flooding, with disruption to transport was likely.

The Met Office added that an explosive cyclogenesis, or weather bomb, was forecast to take place which is caused when pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours.