An intense low-pressure system, which will develop across parts of Wales and South West England during this evening before spreading further eastwards across England, has been named Storm Bronagh by the Met Office and Met Éireann.
A frontal zone will bring heavy rain throughout today (Thursday) before the winds strengthen later in the day bringing gale force winds through this evening and overnight into Friday, and possibly severe gales in a few places.
Two Yellow Met Office Weather Warnings are in force, the first is for rain covering Wales and parts of North West England, then later in the day, a Yellow wind warning is also in place for Storm Bronagh – the second named storm system of the season- covering much of England and parts of Wales.
Storm Bronagh will bring wind gusts of 45-50 mph quite widely around exposed coasts and in a few spots inland, while some gusts of 60-65 mph are possible, particularly overnight into Friday across eastern England. The strong winds will be accompanied by short-lived outbreaks of squally heavy rain in places.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Although the strongest winds are expected to occur as Storm Bronagh moves offshore into the North Sea, there is a low likelihood of damaging winds in places through this evening and overnight with possible could impacts to people travelling in England and Wales. However the strongest winds are most likely along the north east coast of England in the early hours of the morning.”
There is the possibility of damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs or through falling trees and branches, as well as a danger to life. Keep up to date with the weather warnings via our forecast pages, mobile app or social media as there may be up dates throughout the day.
Highways England’s Head of Road Safety, Richard Leonard, said: “We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys. If you do intend to travel, then plan your journey and take extra care, allowing more time for your journey.
“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down. Drivers of other vehicles should be aware of sudden gusts of wind which can affect handling and braking, and give high-sided vehicles, caravans, and motorbikes plenty of space.”
Looking further ahead there is another weather system expected to bring more wind and rain across parts of the UK on Sunday and into Monday, with some possible coastal impacts.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We are expecting heavy and persistent rain to hit the North West from Thursday afternoon and into Friday, with forecasts suggesting that parts of Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire being the worst affected areas.
“There is a possibility that the Environment Agency will need to issue some Flood Alerts and some Flood Warnings as a result of Storm Bronagh.
“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground across the region taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and support those communities affected. After yesterday’s strong winds during Storm Ali we are now clearing channels of debris and will be clearing grids across the area as river flows respond to the heavy rain. We are working closely with partners including Councils and the Police to share information and warn local communities ahead of tonight’s rain.
“We always advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water – just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
“We encourage everyone to check their flood risk and keep up to date with the latest situation at https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings, or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188. We will also be posting updates on our Twitter page @EnvAgencyNW.”
Storm Ali
Storm Ali – the first storm named by the Met Office and Met Éireann this season – has now pulled away from northern Scotland into the northern North Sea/Norwegian Sea after causing widespread impacts on Wednesday across Northern Ireland and the north of the UK.
A wind gust of 91 mph was recorded in Killowen in County Down in Northern Ireland, the strongest wind gust in September in Northern Ireland since records began in 1880s.
Quieter conditions are currently expected to follow from early next week.
