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Heavy rain and 70mph winds to batter Britain Weather warnings issued as high winds lash southern England
(about 9 hours later)
Winds of up to 70mph are expected to batter parts of the UK and nearly half a month’s rainfall is expected in some areas. Coastguard teams have warned storm watchers to stay away from sea walls and harbours in south-west England and south Wales as fierce winds and heavy rain sweeps in from the Atlantic.
Yellow warnings for wind covering the south and south-east of England and southern Wales have been issued by the Met Office from 11am on Friday to 3am on Saturday. Gusts of up to 65mph were recorded in Devon on Friday afternoon, bringing huge waves pounding against the coastline, accompanied by heavy rain. The deep low-pressure weather system was forecast to spread across southern England during the evening.
The system has not been named as a storm. However, the Met Office said strong winds could still bring down trees and cause travel disruption. The Falmouth coastguard Alex Greig said members of the public were going to the seafront to watch waves break over on to roads, and warned that it would be difficult to rescue people in the conditions.
Forecaster Alex Burkill said: “We are going to see very strong winds but the strongest winds will really be across north-west France, maybe into the Channel Islands. On the Isles of Scilly, damage was caused to the quayside at St Mary’s, where a six-metre swell smashed railings. Scheduled flights on the Skybus air link between the islands and Cornwall were postponed because of the winds, and in Plymouth a man was pulled from rocks in stormy weather.
“But in the UK, we are likely to gusts of up to 60-70mph. The strongest gusts will be around the coast – inland areas we could see 40-50mph gusts. I couldn’t rule out an odd gust around 80mph in very exposed parts along the south coast.” Earlier, the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings of wind across southern parts of England and Wales, causing problems for high-sided vehicles and roads affected by spray and standing water.
Reports had incorrectly suggested the system would be classed as a winter storm called Doris. Emma Sharples, a Met Office meteorologist, said most of the affected areas had seen winds of around 50-60mph, with the strongest gust of 65mph recorded at Berry Head in Devon at 1pm.
Approximately half the average rainfall for February, 89mm, is expected over some parts on Friday. Winds were beginning to pick up along the Hampshire coast on Friday afternoon and spread eastwards, with the south-east expected to see the worst of the weather during the latter part of the day.
Burkill said: “We have got some pretty significant rainfall coming across, around 20 mm (0.7 inches) to 30 mm in just a few hours, over the parts of the south-west. “It will slowly ease overnight across the south,” Sharples said, adding that the weakened low pressure would then move north. “The warning that we’ve got out across the south is valid until just before midnight, thereafter things ease down.
“There could be 40 mm of rainfall during Friday in north Wales, eastern Northern Ireland and the west of Scotland.” “There will be a spell of wet weather as well through this evening across the south and, again, that rain clears away northwards as we head through the night, but still windy and wet across northern parts of the UK overnight.”
The worst of the rain is expected over the Irish Sea. However, if the front deviates to the east or west forecasters may issue a rain warning.
There is also a chance of isolated sleet or snow showers over higher ground, mostly affecting the Welsh mountains, parts of north-west England and possibly Scotland.
Several Environment Agency flood warnings and alerts covering rivers and coastal areas in the south, west, and east of England were issued on Thursday evening.
Temperatures are expected to be about 9C (48F) in the north, with highs of about 11C in the south over the weekend.
“But in the wind and where you see the rain it is not going to feel anywhere near that mild. It is going to be quite unpleasant,” Burkhill said.