Stargazers hoping to see the Orionoid meteor shower are set to be disappointed as Storm Brian looks likely to obscure the dazzling display.
The meteor shower will be visible until November 7, but was expected to peak this weekend, with a radiant light show visible tonight.
However, Londoners were issued a severe weather warning alert for the storm, which is expected to batter the capital with high winds and heavy rain.
Brian, which forecasters have warned will bring gales and flooding, will darken the sky, hiding the long-awaited meteor shower, experts have said.
The shower is known for its “speed and brilliance”, according to Tom Kerrs, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
If the skies were clear, skywatchers would have been treated to the sight of up to 20 meteors an hour as the Earth passes through debris left by Halley’s Comet.
London has been issued a yellow weather warning from 4am on Saturday, but heavy rain and wind is expected overnight on Friday.
At Met Office spokesman told The Express: “There’s quite a lot of cloud around this evening and overnight. The best chance of seeing them will be in the early hours before dawn.”
He advised that the clearest skies will be from 3am in the south east.
