FORECASTERS have issued urgent rain and wind warnings across most of Britain today as Storm Gerrit hits.
The storm will bring strong winds and heavy rain to many parts of the UK on Wednesday, with wintry hazards also likely, especially across northern Scotland, the Met Office warned.
Story Picture AgencyCars make their way through a flooded road in Wolverhampton[/caption]
MET OfficeYellow wind and rain warnings are in place across much of the UK[/caption]
Yellow wind and rain warnings are in place across much of the UK.
Drivers have been warned of potentially hazardous conditions on their way home from the Christmas holidays.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said the storm was named as a warning to people coming home after the Christmas holidays.
He said: “Due to the extent of the warnings that are being issued, it was deemed that a named storm would be a good idea because it will highlight to the public the risk associated, particularly as tomorrow is likely to be quite a busy day on the roads with people travelling back home from Christmas and things like that.”
A storm is named when it is deemed to have the potential to cause medium or high impacts on the UK and/or Ireland.
The Met Office and Met Eireann launched the scheme in 2015 to name storms as part of efforts to raise awareness of extreme weather events.
Mr Partridge said wet and windy weather will cover “pretty much the whole of the UK”, with significant snowfall in parts of Scotland.
A yellow rain and snow warning is in place from 6am to 9pm across much of Scotland on Wednesday.
“There are wind warnings out for the south of England, across the English Channel coast,” Mr Partridge added.
“But we also have wind warnings in force for parts of western Wales, north-west England, Northern Ireland, northern Scotland and the Northern Isles.”
He said only the central section of the UK does not have a wind warning.
Wind warning areas can expect gusts of 50-60mph, with up to 70mph on high ground and exposed coasts.
Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely.
“In terms of rain, we have rain warnings out for the whole of Northern Ireland, western Wales, north-west England, and then there’s a combined sort of rain and snow warning for Scotland,” Mr Partridge said.
Rain in the warning areas is forecast to be between 40-60mm, with the potential for 70-90mm in the western hills of Wales and the western side of the Pennines.
There is a chance of power cuts, as well as a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded.
Anywhere above 200 metres in Scotland and the Northern Isles is likely to see some snow, he added.
Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said: “Storm Gerrit will run towards western UK on Wednesday and bring with it potential impacts for much of the UK.
“Winds across southern coastal areas of England will be strong, possibly peaking around 70 mph on exposed coastlines, but more widely around 50-60 mph within the warning area.
“Rain is an additional hazard from Storm Gerrit, with active weather fronts leading to a wet day for many.
“Snow is also likely to cause problems for some northern areas: only briefly for a few upland routes across the Pennines and southern Scotland overnight and early on Wednesday, but more widely to the north of the Central Lowlands later in the day.
“Here around 10 to possibly 20cm of snow may affect some of the highest routes, this combining with very strong winds to lead to some difficult travel conditions.
“At lower levels a combination of heavy rain and very strong winds will dominate.”
Storm Gerrit will transition gradually to the northeast late on Wednesday and into Thursday.
Further unsettled weather is likely later in the week, with strong winds, rain and some upland snow.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
