Dorset is 'likely' to feel the force of Storm Helene, the Met Office says.

The tropical storm, which is currently in the mid-Atlantic, is expected to track towards the UK over the next few days bringing a spell of windy weather on Monday and Tuesday.

However, as the storm travels across the Atlantic it is expected to weaken, downgrading from a tropical storm to an ex- tropical storm.

A yellow national severe weather warning has been issued for large parts of the western UK as the storm is expected to affect the western side of the country late on Monday, before clearing quickly to the north of Scotland through Tuesday morning.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Andy Page, said: "There remains large uncertainty in the exact route Storm Helene will take, however, a spell of very strong winds is expected, initially for parts of south-west England and west Wales, then later south-west Scotland and the southeast of Northern Ireland. Winds are likely to gust to 55-65 mph quite widely in the warning area, with possible gusts of 70-80 mph in exposure".

The storm will also bring some rain, the heaviest of which looks likely to be restricted to the west side of the UK, as well as some warm tropical air, meaning the south east of the country could see temperatures later in the weekend and into the start of next week reaching the mid 20 Celsius.

Although Dorset is currently outside of the weather warning areas, meteorologists say the county will be affected.

Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesman, said: “Currently the yellow warning for the strongest winds for Monday and Tuesday is to the west of Dorset, but the county is still likely to see very windy conditions, especially south-facing coasts such as Portland Bill. When the warning was issued on Friday, Helene was still south of the Azores. Consequently there is still a degree of uncertainty about her exact track, but at the moment, the best guidance is that it will travel up the Irish Sea, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to western parts of the UK. Aside from the strong winds, which could reach 80mph in the most exposed places, the most noticeable feature will be the warmth that Helene will bring to the UK, reflecting her tropical origins. In parts of the south we could see temperatures in the high 20s C.”