UK weather warning - live: Storm Evert to bring 55mph winds as Met Office issues thunderstorm alert

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UK weather: The latest Met Office forecast

Storm Evert, the first named storm of 2021, hit southern parts of the UK overnight bringing with it costal gales, rain, and winds of up to 70mph.

Two yellow wind warnings remain in effect on Friday morning for southern England and Wales along the coast, reaching from St David’s in the west to Great Yarmouth in the east.

Gusts of up to 40 to 50mph are expected quite widely along the coast and could reach up to 55mph along the most exposed coastal areas. Strong winds are also expected to reach North Sea coastal areas during the late morning and afternoon.

The Met Office also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for areas in the east of England, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber. Heavy showers, thunderstorms and torrential downpours are expected to last until late this evening.

Some areas could see up to 70mm of rain falling, increasing the risk of flooding. Driving and road conditions could become difficult, and some communities could potentially be cut off due to flooded roads. Power and other services could also be lost in some areas due to the storm.

The storm arrived as the Met Office said that the climate crisis is already evident across the UK, with the country becoming significantly hotter and wetter. Experts pointed out that from 1991 to 2020, the UK has become 0.9C warmer and 6 per cent wetter.

Key Points

• Storm Evert lashes coast of England and Wales
• Climate crisis already evident in the UK
• Winds of 55mph expected along exposed coastal areas
• Met Office issues thunderstorm warning for east England

[30 July 2021 13:55 · Celine Wadhera]

Heavy rain to move across central parts of England

Heavy rain is expected across central parts of England as Storm Evert moves eastward across the country this afternoon.

The Met Office said that the downpours, which may be torrential at times, could cause standing water and spray on some roads, leading to “tricky travelling conditions”.

[30 July 2021 14:14 · Celine Wadhera]

Isles of Scilly Sailing Club: ‘last night was absolute carnage’

The Isles of Scilly Sailing Club said that Storm Evert was “absolute carnage”.

Whilst everyone was safe, they said, sailing centres will remain closed today to ensure everyone’s safety as the conditions at sea remain rough.

In a post on their Facebook page, the club said: “It was absolute carnage last night!! Thankfully everyone is safe.

“But as it’s still blowing a hoolie, the Sailing centres at both bases will be closed today for safety reasons!!!! Please bear with us while we try to salvage some of our boats and rearrange your bookings!”

The club also shared a photo boats toppled on a beach.

[30 July 2021 14:30 · Celine Wadhera]

Recent wind gusts

The latest wind gusts reported across the UK reached 73mph in The Needles, BBC Weather reported.

The Needles - 73 mph

St Mary’s - 69 mph

Berry Head - 56 mph

Plymouth - 52 mph

Mumbles - 48 mph

Chivenor - 47 mph

[30 July 2021 14:42 · Celine Wadhera]

Storm Evert: the dos and don’ts of staying safe in high wind and rain

Before heading out for the weekend, Sam Wylie-Harris urges caution in the face of potential danger Storm Evert could cause.

If you must travel, check the local forecast, fuel up, pack blankets, plenty of water and something to eat. Dress for the weather – including waterproof layers – and bring a fully charged mobile and portable charger.

Don’t walk under scaffolding, as there’s a chance that something could come unfastened in extreme weather conditions. And, you’ll probably want to skip the camping trip this weekend.

[30 July 2021 14:57 · Celine Wadhera]

Storm Evert: Strong winds and heavy rain ‘blow yachts towards rocks’ and flatten tents

Over the next five days, Storm Evert is forecast to move eastwards, bringing showers, wind and thunderstorms with it.

Overnight on Thursday, the Falmouth Coastguard received calls from around 22 incidents from the water around the Isles of Scilly. Many were from people on yachts that were being “blown towards rocks” at least four of whom were rescued by Coastguard helicopters.

Campers across the south of England and Wales faced extremely treacherous conditions that flattened tents and forced many to pack up early.

Lamiat Sabin reports.

[30 July 2021 15:10 · Celine Wadhera]

Maritime and Coastguard Agency helicopter video

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency tweeted a video, taken from their search and rescue helicopter overnight on Thursday.

The Falmouth Coastguard reported around 22 incidents overnight, with four people needing to be rescued by the SAR helicopter.

The agency said they had seen a night of rescues in the south west in “challenging conditions”.

[30 July 2021 15:29 · Celine Wadhera]

UK sea levels have risen by 16.5cm since start of the 20th century

UK sea levels have risen by 16.5cm since the start of the 20^th century, the Met Office says.

In their annual State of UK Climate Report, the Met Office noted the overall increase in sea level alongside a rise in annual rate of sea level rise.

Currently, sea levels are rising at 3mm per year, above the 1.5mm per year experienced at the beginning of the 20^th century.

[30 July 2021 15:58 · Celine Wadhera]

Amount of ice which melted from Greenland on Tuesday ‘would cover Florida in two inches of water’

Scientists have claimed that ice that melted from Greenland on Tuesday would be enough to cover the US state of Florida in two inches of water.

Ice sheets on the autonomous Danish territory have been shrinking as temperatures in the Arctic reach record levels.

The ice loss has been described as a “massive melting event in Greenland” that “would be enough to cover Florida with two inches of water”.

Samuel Webb reports.

[30 July 2021 16:17 · Celine Wadhera]

North Sea oil chief claimed climate emergency is ‘fake’ in deleted tweets

A North Sea oil chief claimed that the climate emergency “is fake” and caused by “solar activity” in a series of now-deleted tweets, writes climate correspondent Daisy Dunne.

Steve Brown, CEO of UK-based Orcadian Energy also claimed on his personal twitter account that greenhouse gas emissions were “benign”.

Mr Brown’s comments come despite his company’s stance on the climate crisis – being “fully committed” to the government’s legal target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

[30 July 2021 16:36 · Leonie Chao-Fong]

Residents evacuated due to landslip fears not permitted to return

Residents in Parton, Cumbria who were evacuated after fears of a landslip will not be allowed to return home while the area is being assessed, PA reports.

The evacuation took place on Wednesday night when cracks reportedly began to appear in a nearby hill after heavy rain.

The residents of 14 homes will have to stay away until the weekend “over this weekend at least”, a spokesperson for Cumbia County Council said.

The council is also considering the potential implications for St Bridget’s Primary School, a children’s play area and other housing which would be in the path of a potential landslip.