Wet and windy weather on New Year's Eve in Dorset

At times heavy - and persistent - rain is expected on Saturday, December 31.

Those in Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester can expect rain until mid-afternoon on December 31, accompanied by gusts of wind of up to 43mph on Portland. 

Temperatures are likely to reach a high of 12c but will feel much cooler as a result of the windchill.

The Met Office says it expects rain to be brought into the south west on New Year's Eve, with some 'very strong' winds along the south coast.

New Year's Day in Dorset will be the better of the two days, with it looking likely to remain dry, reaching a high of 11c.

But forecasters say it will be an 'unsettled' January 1 across the region, with further showers and some longer spells of rain. 

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Helen Caughey said: “It’ll be an unsettled New Year weekend for much of the UK, with frequent and at times heavy rain.

“New Year’s Eve will be the wetter of the two days, with a number of fronts bringing rain to many areas, especially parts of Scotland as well as south and south-west England, where there will also be some very strong winds along the English Channel. "What that leaves behind is an unsettled New Year’s Day, with central and southern parts of the UK likely to see further showers and some longer spells of rain."

Conditions look likely to become more widely settled into Monday, she said. 

Forecasters say further weather warnings are likely to be required once locations of the rainfall are more certain.