BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES.. HERE COMES DORIS
80mph storm winds to batter Britain as Met Office warns of blizzards and flooding
FLOODING, power cuts, travel disruption and flying debris are set to cause chaos as Storm Doris lashes the UK.
The Met Office warned of snow blizzards and “damaging” 80mph gales when it hits tomorrow.
WINDS of up to 80mph will sweep away the mild spell as Storm Doris roars in from the Atlantic to batter Britain with snow and rain.
It follows the warmest day of the year so far on Monday, when the mercury climbed to 18.3C.
By tomorrow, experts forecast the storm will bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of North Wales, the Midlands and East and North West England.
Emma Sharples of the Met Office, said: “We have a fairly active area of low pressure coming in from the Atlantic.
“It is strengthening as it moves eastwards to the UK.”
An amber warning has been issued for winds of 70 mph in northern England and Wales, with gusts up to 80mph. The alert warns of “damage to structures, interruptions to power supplies and widespread disruption to travel networks, with a danger of injury from flying debris”.
In central England and Wales, a yellow warning is in place, with winds of 60mph expected. A weather warning for snow is also in place for Scotland, which may involve “treacherous” and blizzard-like conditions during tomorrow.
Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: “Currently, the most likely track of the lowpressure system is across Northern Ireland and northern England, and we expect to see the strongest winds in the north of Wales and central England. As well as heavy rain, as the system moves eastwards, it will draw down cold air from the North, which will cause some of this precipitation to fall as snow across parts of northern England and Scotland.”
Storm Doris is expected to move on quickly, with the worst of the weather gone by tomorrow evening. Further Atlantic gusts will bring more rain and wind through the weekend and into next week, but are not expected to reach the levels of Doris. Storms with the potential to cause substantial impact are named by the Met Office and Met Eireann, in Ireland. The next three to strike will be named Storms Ewan, Fleur and Gabriel. Storm Doris’s arrival contrasts with Monday, when visitors to Kew Gardens, West London, enjoyed the warmest day of the winter so far, at 18.3C. Parts of London and the South had temperatures warmer than Ibiza and Menorca.
As the system moves east, it will draw cold air from the north, which will cause snow STEVE WILLINGTON MET OFFICE CHIEF METEOROLOGIST