Category Archives: UK weather

Met Office issues amber health for potentially hottest day of year

Posted on by

Temperatures could reach up to 38C during string of very hot days, say forecasters

The UK could see record-breaking temperatures on Friday, with forecasters saying it could be the hottest day of the year. People are being warned to look out for older people, young children and those with underlying health conditions, as the UK prepares for the heatwave to continue through the weekend.

The Met Office issued the amber heat health warning, the second-highest available, on Thursday as it warned people to look out for each other and drink plenty of fluids, while avoiding excessive quantities of alcohol, to deal with temperatures that could rise as high as 38C (100F) in some places.

Continue reading...

Public told to avoid four ‘unmanageable’ Kent beaches

Posted on by

Crowds far exceed lifeguards’ capacity as coastguard records busiest day for four years

Holidaymakers in Kent have been asked to avoid four of the county’s beaches after fears some have become “unmanageable” due to the number of visitors.

The coastguard had its busiest day in more than four years on Friday – when the UK recorded its third hottest day on record – dealing with 329 incidents. Local authorities have expressed concern that there are not enough lifeguards as crowds swell.

Continue reading...

English beaches packed despite Covid-19 social distancing plea

Posted on by

Tens of thousands descend on south coast on hottest day of the year

Tens of thousands of people descended on beaches on the south coast of England on the hottest day of the year, prompting some local authorities to plead with people to stay away so that social distancing could be maintained.

While many parts of the north of England were facing a fresh lockdown, stretches of beaches at Bournemouth, Poole and Brighton were packed.

Continue reading...

Warm UK weather to continue into next week after sunniest spring on record

Posted on by

Crowds flock to beaches and beauty spots ahead of lockdown easing while Met Office expects to confirm the driest May for 124 years

Coronavirus latest updates

The weekend’s sunny weather, which saw crowds of people flock to beaches and beauty spots across the UK as lockdown restrictions began to be eased, will continue into the beginning of next week, forecasters said. 

Britons enjoyed temperatures of up to 28C (82.4F) and the nation recorded its sunniest spring since records began in 1929. 

Continue reading...

Brits flock to beaches as coronavirus lockdown eases – video

Posted on by

Beaches across the south of England were packed on Wednesday as the country basked in the hottest temperatures since the coronavirus outbreak began. Since 13 May, people in England have been allowed to take unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise, sit in the sun, drive to other destinations, and play sports with members of their own household

Continue reading...

UK weather: Storm Jorge expected to bring more UK floods

Posted on by

South-west and north-west of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are likely to be worst hit

Heavy downpours are expected to cause more flooding to homes and businesses over the weekend, as the latest storm to hit the UK takes hold.

Yellow weather warnings are in place for Storm Jorge on Friday, with the south-west and north-west of England, Wales and Northern Ireland expected to experience the worst of the deluge.

Continue reading...

UK weather: third storm in a month to bring more misery in flooded areas

Posted on by

Storm Jorge may bring 70mph winds on coast and downpours in Wales and northern England

People living in flooded areas are facing more misery as the third storm to hit the UK in a month takes hold over the weekend.

Storm Jorge is expected to batter coastal areas with winds of up to 70mph, while downpours of up to 80mm could fall on already flooded areas.

Continue reading...

UK weather: flooded communities warned of more heavy rain

Posted on by

75mph winds expected to bring more torrential downpours to one of wettest Februarys ever

A storm is expected to bring further bands of torrential rain to flood-hit communities as it sweeps across Britain.

Forecasters have issued a yellow weather warning as the 75mph storm brings a fresh deluge of rain, up to 50mm (2in) in some places.

Continue reading...

Storm Dennis: flood-hit communities brace for more heavy rain

Posted on by

Rivers Severn, Teme and Wye will remain high as rain builds up again from Wednesday morning

Flood-hit UK communities are braced for further heavy rain as river levels continue to threaten to breach barriers.

Hundreds of properties have been flooded and at-risk areas evacuated across England and Wales after the downpours brought by Storm Dennis.

Continue reading...

Severe flood warnings remain as Johnson’s response is criticised

Posted on by

Labour says PM’s decision not to visit flood sites or call Cobra meeting is ‘a disgrace’

Severe flood warnings remain in place and rescue operations were continuing in stricken communities on Monday evening, as the government faced criticism for its response to what has been described as unprecedented flooding in parts of the country.

With thousands of properties flooded after a month’s worth of rain fell on parts of Britain over the weekend, and more than 200 flood warnings still in place, Labour said it was “a disgrace” that the prime minister was not visiting affected towns and villages and was resisting calls to convene the Cobra emergencies committee.

Continue reading...

Storm Dennis: month’s worth of rain falls on south Wales in 48 hours – live updates

Posted on by

Roads shut and trains suspended as storm lashes large parts of country

The Red Cross has urged people to prepare “should the worst happen”, as water levels are expected to peak in the coming days.

Georgie Timmins, crisis response officer at British Red Cross, said:

The storms are expected to continue, and water is anticipated to be at peak levels on Monday and Tuesday. It is important people are ready should the worst happen. It’s a good idea to ensure your phone is fully charged and you have torches at hand.

We are currently responding in Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and Gloucestershire, and we are currently ready to help in Wales, Manchester, Buckinghamshire, Lancashire and Inverness.

Our volunteers know that when people are caught up in a crisis, one person’s needs are different to the next person.

South Wales police have declared a major incident over flooding and landslides caused by Storm Dennis, with an emergency response dealing with “serious disruption”.

They said:

Due to this morning’s flooding and severe weather-related incident which have occurred overnight and through the course of the morning, a major incident was declared and South Wales police is coordinating a major response.

Continue reading...

How do storms and hurricanes get their names?

Posted on by

World meteorological agencies decide when a storm gets a name and what to call it

In Europe storms are named as a joint enterprise between the UK’s Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). The list is set in advance, runs in alphabetical order and usually alternates between names associated with male and female gender. In 2020, Ellen, Francis, Gerda and Hugh are to follow Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis in turn.

According to the Met Office, the decision for a storm to be named is “based on a combination of both the impact the weather may have, and the likelihood of those impacts occurring. A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause an amber or red weather warning.”

Continue reading...

Storm Ciara: travel chaos and floods amid warning of ‘danger to life’ – live updates

Posted on by

Hurricane-force winds and rain rock transport network and engulf defences to bring fresh misery to flood-hit communities

British Airways said in a statement there will be a “minor knock-on effect” to Monday’s schedule.

“We’re getting in touch with those affected, and have brought in extra customer teams to help them with a range of options including a full refund or an alternative flight between now and Thursday,” the airline said.

Continue reading...

Storm Ciara hammers UK with hurricane-force winds and floods

Posted on by

Northern English towns inundated again as transport systems struggle to cope

Hurricane-force winds and flooding have caused severe disruption across much of Britain, including damage to hundreds of properties and the cancellation of trains, flights and ferries.

Storm Ciara brought heavy rain and winds of more than 90mph, knocking out power to homes in some areas. The upheaval is likely to last into the start of the working week and there is more bad weather to come.

Continue reading...

Storm Ciara: Met Office issues wind warnings as snow forecast for UK

Posted on by

Yellow wind warnings issued and ‘blizzard-like conditions’ expected next week

Weather warnings have been issued for parts of the UK as Storm Ciara is forecast to bring strong gales and heavy rain over the weekend.

Yellow warnings of wind have been issued by the Met Office for north-western parts of the UK on Saturday. It also warned of travel disruption and potential power cuts in some areas on Sunday.

Continue reading...

Scotland and north of England to be hit by winds of up to 75mph

Posted on by

Flood warnings in place across south-west England, with damage to properties expected

Winds of up to 75mph (120km/h) are forecast to hit Scotland and the north of England on Tuesday, while south-west England braces for floods.

Coastal communities across the north-east of England and the west of Scotland are most at risk from gales, where exposed areas could see gusts of 70-75mph, according to the Met Office, which issued yellow weather warnings for the two regions.

Continue reading...

UK weather: Christmas Day bright though not white, says Met Office

Posted on by

Early frost and fog to give way to sunshine in most places, say forecasters, with rain and wind to follow on Boxing Day

Those dreaming of a white Christmas will have to wait until at least next year, with the Met Office predicting plenty of frost and sunshine but no snow for Christmas Day.

Much of the UK will wake up to frosty and foggy conditions on Christmas morning, before the wintry weather lifts to make way for sunshine later in the day.

Continue reading...