Met Office issues severe weather warning: “Explosive cyclogenesis” to bring “strongest winds of winter so far”
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After experiencing calmer conditions over the last few days, wild weather is set to return to the UK with the Met Office predicting the “strongest winds of winter so far”. The national weather and climate service has also issued a severe weather warning as an “explosive cyclogenesis” is set to hit the UK.
While Monday and Tuesday start us off with more of the mild, grey and rainy weather, from mid week onwards, the high winds that wrought havoc last year will begin to creep in. A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “A powerful jet stream will develop above the North Atlantic this week with perhaps the strongest winds of the winter so far.”
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Hide AdThe major change in the forecast is set to arrive on Thursday, with a front bringing heavy rain moving eastwards through the day. North Wales and Northwest England are expected to be the worst affected with 20-30mm falling over the hills. The possibility of some hill snow over the Scottish mountains has also been forecast.
According to the Met Office, a “deep area of low pressure will have deepened rapidly whilst crossing the Atlantic” bringing with it strengthening winds to western parts of the UK overnight followed by heavy rainfall.
But it’s Friday when winds will really start to pick up with gusts of up to 80mph expected across Northern Ireland and western Scotland with the possibility of even higher wind speeds in coastal areas. A Yellow Severe Weather Warning has been issued for Friday remaining in place until Saturday morning.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Chris Almond, said: “A very deep area of low pressure will bring a very unsettled, potentially disruptive, spell of weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday. Winds will begin to strengthen on Thursday night with the peak gusts forecast through Friday in Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The wind will also be accompanied by heavy rain bringing some unpleasant conditions to end the week.
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Hide Ad“We have issued a Yellow weather warning for wind, and with several days before the impactful weather, the forecast details are likely to be fine-tuned during the week, so stay tuned to your local forecast and keep up to date with Met Office warnings.”
The change in conditions is said to be driven by the weather over the other side of the Atlantic. Chris continued: “As the low develops over the Atlantic and interacts with the jet stream it will rapidly strengthen, a phenomenon called ‘explosive cyclogenesis’, where the central pressure of a low at latitudes in which the UK lies drops 24 millibars or more in 24 hours. This is forecast to happen on Thursday while the system is out over the Atlantic and it will be a mature feature by the time it reaches the UK.”
Severe Weather Warning issued by Met Office
The yellow weather warning for wind will run from first thing on Friday, all the way through until midnight on Saturday (January 25-26), covering large parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. The deep area of low pressure is expected to pass close to or across the northwest of the UK bringing with it a spell of very strong southeasterly to southwesterly winds with gusts reaching 50-60 mph inland and 70-80 mph along coasts - perhaps higher in a few locations. The wind strength will then gradually ease through Saturday from the south.
Detailing what to expect, the Met office warns there could be damage to buildings, power cuts and disruption to other services such as mobile phone coverage. People are being warned to protect themselves against injury from the effects of the weather including flying debris and large waves which could pose a “danger to life”. They have also warned the high winds could affect road, rail, air and ferry service including cancellations and longer journey times.
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