Storm Ashley latest: Flights cancelled and River Severn bursts banks as UK on high alert over flood warnings
Met Office issues ‘danger to life warning’ and predicts damage to buildings, power cuts and travel disruption during Storm Ashley
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Injuries and danger to life are likely during the 80mph winds and rain hitting parts of the UK in the first named storm of the season, the Met Office has warned.
Dozens of flights have been cancelled at Belfast City Airport and Dublin Airport due to the storm. Several flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen have also been cancelled.
Floodwaters have also submerged the town of Worcester in Worcestershire after the River Severn burst its banks.
The Met Office has issued two amber weather warnings for wind covering western Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, as well as a less severe yellow warning covering the entirety of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and parts of north-west England and Wales.
According to the Environment Agency’s website, there are 39 active flood warnings, which points to expected flooding, and 97 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
Forecasters said to brace for power cuts, damage to buildings and disruption for people travelling by road, rail, air and ferry, including road and bridge closures.
BBC shipping forecast issues 30 gale warnings
The BBC shipping forecast has issued some 30 gale warnings for locations in the waters around Britain, including near the Hebrides, Dover, the Thames and the Irish Sea.
Violent storm force 11 forecast issued in Shannon, Ireland
The BBC’s shipping forecast is predicting violent storm force 11 in Shannon, Ireland.
On the Beaufort scale used to measure winds, 11 is the second highest reading, behind hurricane-force.
Storm Ashley ‘rapidly developing’ in Atlantic Ocean
Storm Ashley is currently developing rapidly as it moves across the Atlantic, undergoing a process known as “explosive cyclogenesis”, according to the Donegal Weather Channel.
Storm Ashley to bring ‘wet and windy end’ to weekend, Met Office says
Storm Ashley will bring a wet and windy end to the weekend, the Met Office has said, as it published this hour-by-hour forecast of tomorrow’s weather:
ScotRail issue travel advice
Train operator ScotRail also issued advice ahead of expected disruption on Sunday, urging those travelling to check their services are still running.
Scott Prentice, the strategy and planning director at the operator said: “In order to keep our customers and staff safe, speed restrictions will be in place as a precautionary measure on some routes in Scotland, which will mean longer journey times.
“Customers should check their journey before setting off, and keep an eye on our website, app or social media feeds for live updates.”
Orange wind warning extended to more counties ahead of Storm Ashley’s arrival
An orange wind warning has been extended to cover four counties ahead of Storm Ashley’s arrival on the island of Ireland.
Clare and Donegal have been added to the orange alert that initially covered Mayo and Galway.
The warning will be in place from 12pm to 9pm on Sunday.
Met Eireann said the first named storm of the season will bring very strong and gusty south to south-west winds, coupled with high spring tides.
The counties covered could see gusts of up to 130kph.
The forecaster said there was the possibility of coastal flooding, large coastal waves, displacement of loose objects, fallen trees, very difficult travelling conditions, dangerous conditions at sea, damage to power lines and potential power outages, and damage to already weakened structures
The rest of the island is covered by a yellow wind warning.
How is a storm named?
Storm Ashley was named on 18 October as the first storm of the season.
A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning.
When the criteria for naming a storm are met, either the Met Office, Met Éireann or KNMI can name a storm, taking the name from the latest list in alphabetical order.
The next five storms will be:
- Bert
- Conall
- Darragh
- Éowyn
- Floris
When will Storm Ashley hit the UK?
Clouds will thicken and wind will strengthen in the early hours of Sunday, and outbreaks of rain will hit Northern Ireland and the west of the UK, Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said.
That rain will be heavy at times and accompanied by gales as the strong winds start, he added.
Western parts of the UK could wake up to 50mph to 60mph winds and heavy rain that day, particularly affecting exposed coasts and hills.
Sunday’s strongest winds will sweep exposed parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, with 70mph gusts likely.
They could reach 80mph “or perhaps a fraction more” in parts of western Scotland, Mr McGivern added.
He said: “Those kinds of wind gusts could cause considerable disruption, damage to buildings, transport disruptions of the ferry crossings, for example.
“And also the risk to coastal communities of flooding because these winds coincide with high tides, so that risk is especially great.”
He added that the winds will continue through Sunday and peak in the evening.
Why is Storm Ashley coming towards the UK?
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said on Friday evening: “At the time of recording, Storm Ashley is on the other side of the Atlantic and a relatively shallow area of low pressure.
“It deepens rapidly as it gets picked up by the jet stream during Saturday and ends up as a particularly deep area of low pressure, with a widespread swathe of gales and wind gusts in excess of 60mph for many western and northern parts of the country.”
Scottish Environment Protection Agency issue statement
Catherine Evans, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said: “Scotland is braced for impacts from Storm Ashley over this weekend. There’s a risk of coastal flooding across much of the country due to already high water levels combined with strong winds.
“While the risk is greatest around high tide times, our message is clear: take extra care if you are near the coast at any point and stay well clear of waves and water. Be careful when travelling around exposed coastal areas and don’t walk or drive through flood water as there may be hidden hazards.
“Flood Alerts and Warnings are in place so stay up to date though our website. We will continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7 and review regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings as required.
“We advise people to sign up to Floodline to receive free updates for where they live, or travel through, directly to their phone. People can also check our flood updates for all the latest information and view the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected further ahead.”
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