‘HURRICANE’ TO BATTER BRITAIN
80mph winds will cause chaos on 30th anniversary of Great Storm
A HURRICANE’S tail is set to lash Britain 30 years on from the Great Storm of 1987.
Gales of up to 80mph threaten two days of chaos when the storm arrives on Monday.
Last night the remnants of category-1 Hurricane Ophelia were hurtling across the North Atlantic, with wind speeds already more than 70mph. It will sweep past Spain and France on a direct collision course with Britain.
While not as severe as the storm of 1987 which brought devastation to Britain, it could still deliver the worst battering in a decade.
The storm is expected to arrive as a fully-formed lowpressure system and is not likely to have dissipated into “remnants” of warm air.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “While a tropical system heading our way like this is not unprecedented, it is unusual.
“Ophelia is expected to retain the integrity of the original storm.”
The West is on alert to brace for the biggest impact but a
battering is still expected across much of the country.
The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning down the west coast from midday on Monday.
Commuters have been urged to prepare for delays on roads and railways with air and ferry routes expected to be disrupted.
It will strike nearly three decades to the day that the Great Storm hit Britain. Then, the day’s weather reports had failed to forecast the hurricane-force winds, which caused carnage on the night of October 15.
Yesterday Met Office chief forecaster Steve Willington said Monday’s winds could be strong enough to damage buildings, while monster waves threaten coastal regions.
He said: “A spell of very windy weather is likely on Monday in association with ex-Ophelia.
“Southerly winds are most likely to gust between 50 and 60mph with perhaps gusts of 70 to 80mph in more exposed parts.
“There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles from roofs.
“It is possible that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray or large waves.”
Threat
While the main threat is from gales, parts of the country face a drenching from torrential downpours, he warned.
He said: “Heavy rain is also possible in association with this system with northwestern UK most prone.
“There is also a small chance that injuries could occur from beach material being thrown on to sea fronts.”
The remnants of Ophelia are expected to mimic other recent ex-hurricanes that hit the UK.
Mr Madge added: “Tropical Storm Grace which affected the British Isles in 2009 was similar as was Hurricane Gordon which affected the UK in 2006 and both of these brought strong winds to the UK.”
Britain is in the firing line for a “very wet and windy” spell of autumn weather if Ophelia makes a direct hit, he warned.
He added: “Ophelia is currently on track to pass the west coast of Britain on Monday, there are still several possible outcomes.
“But if it takes a central track we expect some very wet and windy weather.
“The main problem is likely to be the winds although there will be some rain associated with the storm. Areas closest to the centre of the low-pressure system will feel the greatest effects and we are looking at western and northern regions. However, it could be widely unsettled. It is likely things will have calmed down by the early hours of Wednesday.”
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said a brief calm before the storm will bring warm and settled weather this weekend.
Temperatures could reach as high as 70F across the South with the North likely to hit 60F, he added. He said: “We can expect a late blast of Indian Summer-type weather throughout this weekend, with some prolonged periods of sunshine for many.
“Temperatures could range in the low to mid 20Cs across large parts of the country, apart from some parts of the far North, which will be colder.
“However, this will be short-lived as hurricane remnants will hit our shores during the latter part of the weekend and into the early part of next week.
“This will bring a changeable period of weather with strong winds and some heavy showers for many, particularly northern and western areas.”