The Met Office has issued a storm warning for Friday (24 January) and Saturday and said that Storm Eowyn could pose a risk to life.
The Sussex coast including Brighton and Hove is expected to take a battering although the north of England is likely to take the brunt of the of the storm.
Gusts of more than 80mph could disrupt travel, damage buildings and cause power cuts with danger arising from flying debris.
The unsettled conditions should reach Britain on Thursday evening, with the wind gathering speed and heavy rain falling overnight.
Storm Eowyn will bring a spell of strong south easterly to south westerly winds, with gusts reaching 50mph to 60mph inland and 70mph to 80mph along coasts.
The wind strength is expected to ease gradually through Saturday from the south.
The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for Friday – with the warning taking effect from midnight.
It covers most of the country although the disruption is not expected to affect inland areas in the south east of England, including London.
It will hit the coast, the Met Office said, with the warning extending to Brighton and Dover.
The official forecaster said that the storm should follows the “benign” grey cloudy weather and outbreaks of rain seen across much of the country earlier in the week.
The change to conditions is being caused by a powerful jet stream pushing low pressure across the Atlantic and towards Britain, following a recent cold spell over North America.
Andrea Bishop, from the Met Office, said: “Storm Eowyn will bring a period of very unsettled, potentially disruptive, weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday.
“Pronounced ‘Ay-oh-win’, the system will begin to influence the UK’s weather on Friday, with strengthening winds initially in north western parts of the UK with accompanying heavy rainfall.”
The forecaster advised securing loose items outside homes, including bins, garden furniture, trampolines and sheds – and having torches and batteries in case of power cuts.
Those travelling in this “disruptive spell of weather” are urged to be cautious as road, rail, airports and ferries are likely to be affected.
Another area of low pressure could bring further wet and very windy weather across the country by Sunday.
There is the potential for further weather warnings over the weekend and throughout next week, the Met Office added.
