Storm Dudley is the fifth named storm of the season - following Storm Corrie, Malik, Barra and Arwen.
Storm Dudley could bring gusts of up to 90mph in the most exposed areas.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind, covering all of northern and central England, most of Wales and southern and central Scotland.
The Met Office's yellow alert will last from 4am on Saturday until midday on Monday.
This warning is in force until 9pm on Friday, and expands to cover Northern Ireland from Thursday.
Why is it called Storm Dudley?
Have you ever wondered why storms get their names and why we've had Storm Arwen, Barra, Corrie, Malik and now Dudley?
The Met Office names storms in association with Ireland’s Met Eireann and the Netherland’s KNMI meteorology service.
Dudley was selected out of seven other potential storm names beginning with 'D'. Storm Dudley is amed after a couple due to get married in 2022 who will share the last name of Dudley.
The next storm to directly impact Ireland, the Netherlands or the UK will be called Storm Eunice, according to 2022's list of storm names.
Dudley was a name selected as part of the Met Office's Name Our Storms collaboration with Irish forecasters Met Éireann and Dutch forecasters KNMI.
For 2021, the UK public sent in 10,000 storm names to the Met Office - using anything from pet names to favourite books as inspiration.
The storm names for the 2021/22 season have all been selected by the Met Office and partners Met Éireann and KNMI - reflecting some of the more popular choices.
For example, Arwen is a name which is thought to be of Welsh origin and popularised by Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings books.
The names chosen reflect the diversity of the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The 2021/22 storm season runs from September 2021 through to the end of August 2022.
Other names included on the list are Kim, with reasons behind its nomination including a ‘whirlwind’ relative and a self-confessed weather watcher.
Which names are not allowed for storms?
Names were selected on a range of criteria, including whether it is being used by other storm naming groups, whether there have been significant impacts from previous storms with the same name and if it is a name that has already been used in recent years by the group.
When are storms named?
Storms will be named by the group when they’re deemed to cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.
In addition to strong winds, impacts from rain and snow will also be considered in the naming process, the Met Office said.
Why do we name storms?
The naming of storms is intended to help the media and public better communicate the impacts of potential severe weather events, helping people to stay safe and protect themselves and their property ahead of inclement weather.
If a storm has already been named by another storm naming group before it impacts the UK, the original name will be used in communications about it.
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