Wintry blast for parts of UK at start of week as Storm Ewan to lash Ireland

HIGH WINDS, ice and snow were predicted to hit parts of the UK as Storm Ewan sweeps across Ireland.

Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing overnight last night, with gusts of up to 60mph expected in the northwest before the official start of spring on Wednesday. Up to 2cm of snow is also expected in parts of western Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Warnings are in place for heavy rain, high winds and ice in Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of north-west Wales and England.

Forecaster Marco Petagna said the low pressure system will move across the country today and tomorrow, with temperatures of 5C or 6C.

“The first half of the week will be cold and windy. It will start to turn milder for the second half of the week,” he added.

The Met Office issued a yellow alert for a “small area of very strong winds” likely to move north-eastwards over parts of the north-western half of the UK.

The area of strongest winds arrived over north-west Wales late yesterday morning and were expected to clear the north-east of Scotland this morning.

Last week, Storm Doris caused travel disruption, damaged buildings and sent debris flying.

Tahnie Martin, 29, who worked at the University of Wolverhampton, was killed in Wolverhampton city centre after being struck by flying debris.

The current weather system has been dubbed Storm Ewan in Ireland but conditions are not severe enough in the UK to be categorised as a storm.

Storms with the potential to cause a substantial impact are named by the Met Office and Met Eireann, moving through the alphabet.

The first was named Abigail in November 2015, after members of the public suggested monikers for the “name our storms” project.

Forecasters are now in their second run through the alphabet.

After Ewan, Britons can expect to hear of Fleur and Gabriel.