KATH BLOWS IN
Warnings of travel chaos and floods as storm hits
STORM Kathleen is set to batter Britain from today.
Rain and wind warnings have been issued and gusts of around 50mph are expected over a wide area tomorrow.
Some exposed places, particularly on the coast, will have gusts of up to 70mph.
Large waves are likely, the Met Office said, as seen already off Shoreham, West Sussex, on Wednesday and in Seaburn, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, yesterday.
Warm air will be drawn from Iberia, possibly spiking temperatures to 21C in the South East and East Anglia.
The Met Office’s Alex Burkill said tomorrow will bring heavy rain in Scotland and potentially in the West and North East England.
Downpours are likely to cause travel disruption.
The Environment Agency has issued 12 flood warnings and 93 flood alerts.
Mr Burkill added: “Through the next few days, various areas of low pressure [will be] bringing spells of wet weather and blustery conditions too.”
Rod Dennis of RAC Breakdown urged drivers in high winds to slow down and prepare for buffeting if overtaking high-sided lorries.
He added: “This intense stormy weather is going to prove extremely challenging for anyone driving on the western side of the UK.
“We strongly urge drivers to avoid exposed coasts.”
New data shows 1,695.9mm of rain fell from October 2022 to March 2024, the most of any 18-month period in England since comparable records began in 1836.
From Monday more rain is expected in the North, with more settled conditions in the South. Temperatures will be a little above average.
With the Met Office naming storms alphabetically, Kathleen is the 11th since the 2023/24 season began on September 1. This is only the second time 11 storms have been recorded in a season since naming began in 2015.