Summer’s well and truly over. Autumn officially began on September 22, but much of the UK has been unlucky with weather for over a month as hopes of a potential Indian summer never materialised, replaced instead by classic old grey skies. Unfortunately, as we move further into October the outlook isn’t much better, with the first storm of the new season set to hit this very weekend.
Storm Amy is currently approaching over the Atlantic, with the Met Office saying that it is ‘expected to develop rapidly as it approaches the UK’. Although the south and south-east of England will likely get off with some light showers, most of the UK will experience high winds and buckets of rain this weekend, peaking on Saturday (October 4).
Yellow and amber warnings have been issued by the Met Office for Storm Amy; here’s everything you need to know to be prepared for the gusts and gales this weekend.
When will Storm Amy hit the UK?
The Met Office expects Amy to hit on Friday evening (October 3) and continue until the early hours of Sunday morning (October 5). It will come in from the west, so Northern Ireland and western Scotland will be the first to feel the effects, with heavy rain beginning on Thursday (October 2) evening.
Which areas will be affected?
The north and west of Britain will be worst affected. Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Tom Crabtree explained that ‘there is still some uncertainty about the exact track Storm Amy will take’, but that it ‘will bring gale force winds across northern and western regions’.
The west of Scotland will be hit particularly hard by the rain, Crabtree continued, saying ‘Heavy rainfall is also expected, in particular over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50 mm in 6-9 hours, increasing the risk of localised flooding’.
How long will the storm last?
The storm will only be at its peak for around 24 hours from Friday until Saturday evening, but expect increased levels of rain and winds for a few days following Amy’s height.
Weather warnings
Several yellow weather warnings have been released by the Met Office for both rain and wind speeds.
A yellow warning for strong wind across Scotland, northwest England, northwest Wales, and Northern Ireland was issued yesterday (October 12), but has since been upgraded to amber for the west and northwest of Scotland. This warning is in place from 6pm on Friday until 11.59pm on Saturday.
The Met reports that winds will reach ‘50 to 60 miles per hour inland in northern Britain’, or even ‘70 to 80 miles per hour in places, with even stronger gusts on exposed coasts and hills’.
There is also a yellow warning for rain across all of Scotland and Northern Ireland, most of Wales, and the entirety of the north of England in place on Friday and Saturday. In Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland, that warning extends into today (Thursday October 2).
It is possible that trees could be blown down, so avoid wooded areas during periods of high wind. Power cuts are also possible. Flights from Scotland may be cancelled, and public transport may be subject to delays or cancellations on Saturday.
Keep up to date with the latest information on warnings on the Met Office website here.
What do Met Office weather warnings mean?
Warnings are put in place when there is a chance that weather conditions could cause ‘damage to property, travel delays and cancellations, loss of water supplies, power cuts and, in the most severe cases, bring a danger to life’.
Yellow warnings signal that there is either a possibility, but not a certainty, that serious damage could be caused to infrastructure and delays to transport, or that there is a high certainty that a smaller level of damage will occur. Under a yellow warning ‘many people may be able to continue with their daily routine’.
Amber warnings are more severe. They signal that there is an ‘increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather’, and the Met Office advises that ‘you should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property’ if an amber warning has been issued for your area.
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