Storm Barra weather forecast: UK set for ice, wind and rain - as dozens of flood warnings issued

Dozens of flood alerts and warnings have been issued
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Storm Barra is expected to bring ice, wind, rain and floods for parts of the UK today (8 December).

Dozens of flood alerts and warnings have been issued, while communities in the North East and Scotland begin to recover from the catastrophic effects of Storm Arwen.

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Thousands of homes lost power for up to 10 days at the end of November as 100mph winds and lashing rain hit parts of the UK.

All houses were meant to be reconnected by last night (7 December), however Northern Powergrid had not confirmed whether that was the case.

What is the weather forecast today?

Storm Barra moved in from the west on Tuesday, and a yellow weather warning for wind is in place from midnight until 6pm on Wednesday for the west coast of Wales and south-west England.

Aberdaron in Gwynedd, Wales, which is covered by the warning, was battered by gales of 86mph on Tuesday, while Orlock Head in Co Down, N Ireland, faced 76mph gusts.

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Met Office forecasters said Storm Barra is not expected to cause as much chaos as Storm Arwen – though it has already sparked travel delays and school closures in Scotland.

Temperatures will be mild for the time of year on Wednesday, with London predicted to see 7C, 8C in Cardiff, 4C for Edinburgh and 6C in Belfast.

Where are flood warnings in place across the UK?

The Environment Agency has issued 6 flood warnings for England at locations primarily in the South West and one near Liverpool.

Some 63 flood alerts, for areas where flooding is possible, have also been issued across the country.

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The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has sent 11 flood alerts and five warnings for areas in the north-east of Scotland and the south-west.

Natural Resources Wales has also issued 12 flood warnings and 11 alerts, mainly covering coastal areas.

What the Met Office has said about Storm Barra

Met Office spokeswoman Nicky Maxey said: “We are not expecting the impacts of Barra to be as bad as we saw with Arwen.

“Storm Barra will bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to many parts of the UK today.

“We may see some snow on the higher ground, too.

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“It is unlikely to be as impactful as Storm Arwen last week but there will be blustery conditions so people should still be prepared.”

ScotRail has warned that some Wednesday services will be cancelled due to the storm.

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