Freak storm to batter Britain: 100mph winds and downpours to cause chaos

Nathan Rao
The Express, UK
Fri, 13 Dec 2013 07:49 UTC

Another freak storm is set to sweep Britain next week as our topsy-turvy weather continues.

Torrential rain and 100mph gales are expected to topple trees, bring down power lines and damage buildings.

And forecasters warn that this time there will be no let-up until Christmas.

As parts of the country were still struggling yesterday to clear up the damage caused by last week's storm and devastating tidal surge, there were reports of 80mph winds next week with 100mph storm-force gusts likely to lash areas of the North.

After a few days of relatively calm, foggy weather, Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel, said a shift in the jet stream would turn things more unsettled over the weekend.

He warned Britain could feel the full brunt of the storm by Wednesday with gales continuing until Christmas.

"There is a 30 to 40 per cent risk of severe gales for central and southern Britain on Thursday as a deep area of low pressure tracks east to Scotland," he said.

"The worst case is 70 to 90mph gusts across exposed parts of Wales and the South but we could see 70mph gusts across central Britain which would cause a lot of disruption.

"This storm has the potential to affect a large part of the UK population. If it strikes between December 18 and 20 we will call it Emily, after Emily Bronte who died on December 19, 1848.

"From Thursday to Christmas there is a high risk of gales over the UK." Snow will also be a hazard in Scotland with high winds whipping up blizzard conditions.

The storm is the latest in a chaotic run of weather following last week's 142mph winds which wrought havoc across the North while the east coast saw the biggest tidal surge for 60 years.

Last month the St Jude's Day storm also brought 100mph-plus winds and left a trail of destruction in its wake. Jonathan Powell, of Vantage Weather Services, blamed a deep Atlantic low pressure system for next week's problems.

He said: "This is expected to hit the North-west initially where gusts could exceed 100mph in parts. Elsewhere 70 to 80mph is likely.

"We are looking at very strong and destructive gusts with the potential to topple trees and damage buildings.

"There is a generally stormy picture running up to Christmas. People should be prepared for disruption and damage to property."

The Met Office last night played down the warnings, however. Spokeswoman Laura Young said: "At the moment we see no cause to issue any weather warnings for next Thursday."

Forecaster Helen Chivers said: "We are heading into an unsettled period and there is a risk of gales and rain. However, it is too early to predict.