AN “Atlantic onslaught” is set to bring potentially stormy weather over the weekend and into next week, forecasters have said. 

While this week will be settled, local weather forecaster Dorset Snow said “cold, wet and windy” weather is on the horizon.

Dorset Snow said: “This week is looking fairly settled. Mix of sunny spells and cloudy periods. Risk of frost at night, especially for rural areas. Temps around average. Next week we have an Atlantic onslaught arriving.

“But with some seriously cold air building a long way to our west it means we may draw in some more cold westerly winds. This could deliver some wintry precipitation at times.”

He added that cool air to the north west will make it feel “extremely cold.”

The Met Office has said the "wet and very windy weather” is set to arrive this weekend and could last “well into next week.”

Deputy chief meteorologist, Dan Harris, said: “Although still a long way off in forecast terms, there are relatively strong signals for very unsettled weather arriving this weekend, and probably continuing well into next week.

“Along with a spell of heavy rain, widespread gales are likely, and severe gales are possible in more exposed parts of the west and north of the UK.”

The Met Office said there is potential for severe weather warnings to be issued.