Hurricane Ophelia has strengthened to a Category 2 storm with 100mph winds, as it makes its way across the Atlantic towards Britain. 

The US National Hurricane Center has been warning that the storm, which is currently 670miles south-west of the Azores, is becoming stronger and its remnants are set to hit the UK on Sunday and Monday. 

The volatile weather system could bring heavy downpours and gusts of up to 75mph by the time it hits Britain's shores at the start of next week, with the mwarning that the unsettled weather is expected to cause disruption. The Met Office today posted two satellite images of Ophelia, which were captured by the US National Hurricane Center.

The pictures, which were taken six hours apart at 4am and 10am, show how the storm which appears shaped like a 'cucumber' has increased in size as it looms menacingly over the Atlantic Ocean.

Alex Burkhill, a Met Office forecaster, said: 'Ophelia became a hurricane overnight and the forecast track takes it eastwards towards Iberia for the weekend.

'After that indications are that it will then have weakened. Then it will continue its way towards the British Isles, probably reaching us very early next week. The west of Britain will see the worst of the weather, with winds of 60mph to 75mph forecast.

Its arrival in the UK will coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm of 1987, which hit southern England overnight on October 15 and caused damage estimated at £1billion as well as claiming 18 lives.

The strong winds are expected to arrive after a possible 77F (25C) heatwave this weekend that will see hot air pulled up from southern Spain that will bring conditions more associated with summer from tomorrow.

The warmth is also being fuelled by the remnants of Hurricane Nate and will provide a respite for North West England which was under a weather warning yesterday, with up to 4in (100mm) of rain forecast to fall in Cumbria. .