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Injuries and danger to life are likely during the 80mph winds set to hit parts of the UK this weekend in the first named storm of the season.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning ahead of Storm Ashley for the north-west of Scotland on Sunday, as well as a yellow warning for the entirety of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and parts of north-west England and Wales.
The amber warning will be in force from 9am on Sunday until midnight, and the yellow between 3am and midnight.
Gusts of 80mph could hit north-west Scotland and “injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties”, the Met Office said.
There is “a good chance” of power cuts in that area which could affect mobile phone coverage and buildings will probably be damaged, such as by tiles blowing off roofs.
Disruption or cancellations to road, rail, air and ferry services are likely, as well as road and bridge closures.
Flood alerts in place across the country
The Environment Agency currently has more than 50 flood warnings in place, with flooding expected in these areas. There are a further 145 possible flood alerts.
The majority of the warnings and alerts are for the western half of the UK with the bulk of the warnings between Birmingham and Bristol.
Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 14:00
Full report: Storm Ashley set to ravage parts of UK with winds of up to 80mph
Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 13:01
What is a ‘weather bomb’?
Meteorologists have said Storm Ashley will see a rapid drop of pressure as it moves in from the Atlantic on Saturday night – a phenomenon called a “weather bomb”.
A ‘weather bomb’ is an unofficial term for a low pressure system whose central pressure falls 24 millibars in 24 hours in a process known as explosive cyclogenesis, according to the Met Office.
Rapid acceleration of air caused by the jet stream high up in the atmosphere can remove air from the column, reducing its weight so causing pressure to fall at sea level.
This in turn sucks in air which converges from surrounding regions resulting in faster and faster rotation of the circulation.
That will result in high winds, which coincide with high spring tides – bringing a risk of large waves and coastal overtopping.
Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 12:41
Transport Scotland issues warning
Transport Scotland has warned of likely disruptions to public transport, including the country’s ferry network.
A statement said: “A windy period is expected across the whole of the UK on Sunday and into Monday, but across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, north-west England and north-west Wales there is an increased chance of some disruption.
“These strong winds in conjunction with high spring tides may cause some disruption.”
Families travelling during the October school holidays have been advised to check for cancellations.
Jabed Ahmed19 October 2024 12:01
