Cumbria is set to be battered by strong winds and heavy rain this week.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for strong winds over the weekend alongside several yellow warnings for heavy rain and strong winds throughout the week.
It said that the county will face potentially damaging winds from 3pm on Saturday until 9pm that are now being associated with Storm Darragh.
The weather forecaster said gusts of 70 to 80mph are likely around exposed coasts and headlands, where some very large waves are also likely, whilst gusts of 60 to 70mph are likely inland.
It has issued also issued a yellow weather warning for winds of up to 70mph in coastal areas from 3pm today, Thursday December 5, until 6am on Friday December 6.
It said that inland gusts of 40 to 50mph are possible with up to 60 or 70mph gusts possible along exposed coasts which could cause travel disruption.
Another yellow weather warning for heavy rain and strong winds is in place from 3pm on Friday December 6 until Sunday December 8.
Around 15 to 25mm of rain may fall quite widely, more particularly across central, northern and western parts of England and Wales.
Exposed higher ground in the north and west will see closer to 50 to 70mm of rain.
What should I expect?
- There is a good chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- Probably some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
- Longer journey times and cancellations likely, as road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected
- Flying debris is likely and could lead to Injuries or danger to life
- Some roads and bridges likely to close, with falling trees an additional hazard
- Injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties
- Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
- There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads
- There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life
- There is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close
Flood alerts have also been issued for Cumbria – find out where here
Why should I care about weather warnings?
Weather warnings are issued to let people know what weather is in store for their area and what its impact could be.
The Met Office is the UK’s official weather service and is responsible for issuing weather warnings to the public.
There are three main levels of weather warning:
- Yellow – which asks people to be prepared for disruption
- Amber – which asks people to change plans that could be impacted by the weather and take action to protect themselves and their property
- Red – which is issued for weather that poses a danger to life and asks people to immediately take direct action to keep themselves and others safe from impacts of the weather
Yellow and amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. This means it is important to read each warning to know what level of impact to expect in your local area – and how likely those impacts are to occur.
The Met Office began issuing impact-based warnings in 2011 – which means that warnings are issued when the weather may have an impact on people’s day to day lives.
Previous to this, warnings were issued to the public when certain weather thresholds or levels were reached.
Impact-based warnings take multiple factors into account – these include time of day, if it may impact traffic, time of year, if the weather is unusual, if there are any seasonal events taking place and if the area is well equipped to deal with the weather.
Each warning level is designed to help people take steps to minimise the chances of disruption in their lives.
