Another #ukstorm to batter our shores this weekend
There’s a definite sense of déjà vu as I cast an eye over the weather charts for tonight and tomorrow, with yet another vicious storm set to batter our shores.
This stormy weather has been with us since the end of December, bringing ongoing flooding and disruption – especially to south west England, where more homes in the Somerset Levels have been evacuated overnight.
As the storminess carries on, weather records continue to fall. The Met Office announced yesterday that England and Wales have had the wettest December to January since 1876/77 and the second wettest December to January since 1766.
These are phenomenal statistics and make it no surprise that some parts of the UK are struggling against this extreme weather.
The next storm is going to arrive during Friday night and continue through Saturday, bringing a return of the hazards that struck only a few days ago.
Heavy rain
A band of heavy rain, followed by showers will sweep northwards across the UK during Friday night and Saturday, delivering more rain in the places that really don’t need it.
The latest information from the weather computer models suggests that southern and western areas will see the greatest amount of rainfall, with 15-30mm widely and as much as 40-50mm of the hills and mountains.
Other parts of the UK will be wet, but are only likely to see 10-20mm of rain generally.
Severe gales
With low pressure deepening rapidly, some very strong winds are expected for southern and western parts of the UK during Saturday.
Severe gales are likely, with gusts around the coasts as high as 70-80mph. Even inland, gusts of 50-60mph are possible.
Given that the ground is so soft from the extreme rainfall, winds of this strength will potentially bring down trees and power lines.
Flooding
The Environment Agency is again warning of further flooding problems this weekend, with the greatest concern for southern parts of England and Wales.
With the ground saturated and river levels still high, inland areas will be prone to surface water and river flooding.
For coastal areas, the severe gales, combined with large waves, will threaten communities with damage and coastal flooding.
Environment Agency flood risk forecast – low (yellow), medium (orange), red (high)
After this next storm, the weather will turn briefly quieter on Monday, before the possibility of another deep area of low pressure arriving on Tuesday.
Don’t forget, you can get the latest forecast on the Channel 4 Weather website. I’ll also be posting updates on Twitter – @liamdutton
Satellite image: EUMETSAT