Warnings over storm due to hit England and Wales

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Warnings over storm due to hit England and Wales




Nick Miller explains where and when the storm is predicted to hit





Weather forecasters have warned of stormy conditions in England and Wales on Sunday night and Monday.
A Met Office amber alert of high winds in southern Wales and southern England now includes much of the Midlands, the East, and London and the South East.
People are being warned of the risk of falling trees and damage to buildings, with gusts of up to 80 mph (120 kph), possibly higher around exposed coasts.
There is also concern heavy rain could cause surface water flooding.

A yellow alert predicting heavy rain on Monday covers the whole of England and Wales.
It is the lowest level of the three warnings issued by the Met Office, and advises people to "be aware".
An amber alert, advising people to "be prepared" for potentially hazardous conditions, is one level up from this.
BBC Weather presenter Peter Gibbs said a strong Atlantic jet stream was providing the "driving force" for the storm.
The strongest winds are expected on the storm's southern and western flanks.
Forecasters said a "very intense low pressure system" would bring the potential for strong winds, especially on exposed coasts in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent.

'Significant disruption'

The Met Office said the public "should be prepared for the risk of falling trees as well as damage to buildings and other structures, bringing disruption to transport and power supplies".
The storm is expected to run across the country in a north-eastwardly direction, but there is still some doubt about the timing.
Eddy Carroll, chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: "This storm doesn't exist at the moment, but our forecast models predict it is likely to develop in the west Atlantic on Saturday.
"Then it's likely to rapidly intensify just west of the UK late on Sunday before tracking across England and Wales early on Monday.
"There is still a chance this storm may take a more southerly track and miss the UK, bringing impacts elsewhere in northern Europe, but people should be aware there is a risk of severe weather and significant disruption."
The AA said stormy conditions could cause "significant travel disruption on Monday morning... one of the busiest times on the roads".

Tree risk

Darron Burness, head of the AA's flood rescue team, said: "Strong wind and torrential rain is an unpredictable and hazardous combination, which can be quite overwhelming when you're driving.
"There's likely to be tree and other debris on the roads as well potential flooding, so it's very important to keep your speed down and drive with great care."
Jill Attenborough, of the Woodland Trust, said 15 million UK trees fell in the infamous storm of 1987, and warned more trees were now "exposed" because of reduction to woodland areas for the building of roads, railways and housing.



Millions of trees fell during the infamous storm in October 1987


She said part of the reason so many trees fell in October 1987 was that many were in "full leaf" at that time of year, meaning leaves "catch the wind like a sail", and the same risk applied to the forecast storm.
She urged people to use "common sense" and stay away from woodland in high winds.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24674537

[CallmeGoose]

just be grateful your on land. we are all sleeping with our survival suits and lifejackets over the next few days out in the southern sector of the north sea!

[dpSparhawk]

I bet the morons over at UK Preppers are going bonkers.

[macmilm]

just be grateful your on land. we are all sleeping with our survival suits and lifejackets over the next few days out in the southern sector of the north sea!

Hope you got extra sick bags !!!!