UK weather: Bonfire Night celebrations at risk of washout as Met Office issues weekend warnings

Britons have been warned to expect a washout bonfire weekend as the remnants of Storm Ciarán are set to bring more downpours on Saturday.

A yellow weather warning is in place across much of the south of England with travel disruption expected as rain falls on ground already saturated from the storm.

Tonight, showers will continue across the northeast and west, while parts of Scotland and northern England have been told to expect frost and fog.

By Saturday, rain and wind will sweep northwards across England and Wales and those in the south can expect to see lightning. By Sunday, those celebrating Bonfire night can expect conditions to remain dry but chilly as temperatures are predicted to dip.

The latest weather warning comes after Storm Ciarán brought 104mph winds and torrential rain to the UK, sparking the closure of hundreds of schools and resulting in powercuts and flooding.

Frank Saunders, a chief forecaster with the Met Office said: “The forecast is moving into a period of fairly typical autumnal weather, with breezy conditions and spells of rain and showers, interspersed with some clearer and brighter periods.

“We still have warnings in the forecast, partly because the ground is already so wet but overall conditions are expected to be less impactful than we’ve seen over the last few days.

“Aside from scattered showers in the north and west of the UK, Bonfire Night (Sunday) will be largely dry and settled, although temperatures will be dipping compared with values last week.”

Saturday’s forecast, however, may bring a dampener to bonfire celebrations.

Thousands of revellers are set to travel to Edenbridge, Kent, to watch an 11-metre-tall robotic effigy of London Mayor Sadiq Khan go up in flames.

It is unknown whether the rain will inhibit the burning of the giant statue, which is clutching a sign for the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zones, and £15 tickets for London’s New Year’s Eve firework event.

In Lewes, hundreds are expected for the annual bonfire parade, which will see people line the streets for a procession involving a fiery spectacle of effigy and cross burning.

One of the six events for Guy Fawke’s Night in the East Sussex town will be closed to public due to the rain. Cliffe Bonfire Society posted on Facebook, that it had cancelled ticket sales for its bonfire event.

Further north, Gateshead’s annual firework celebration at Saltwell Park has also been called off due to rain, while Chesterfield Borough Council and Wakefield Council have both axed their events due to saturated grounds making them unsafe.