Scotland could be hit by 60mph winds today, weather experts have warned.
Heavy rain and winds are predicted to arrive across the west and north of the country from about 3pm.
There are likely to be gales and severe gales into the evening with stormforce winds possible in the Outer Hebrides.
Further spells of unsettled and very windy weather could also arrive in Scotland later in the week.
Carol Kirkwood, a BBC forecaster, said: “The wind is going to be a feature of the weather later on [Tuesday] because it’s going to continue to strengthen to the point of touching gales or severe gales across northern and western Scotland.”
Advertisement
The weather in the UK is being influenced by the jet stream over the Atlantic, which the forecaster said was “unusually strong” at the moment.
A deep low-pressure system moving to the north of the UK, bringing strong winds, rain and generally unsettled and stormy conditions is forecast for the Christmas weekend.
However, a white Christmas is looking unlikely, according to the Met Office, which says that the festive season will probably come and go without a fall of snow, with daytime temperatures staying above freezing.
A Met Office spokesman said: “It’s looking like it will probably be relatively mild, so unlikely to see much of a white Christmas.”