Warning of ‘severe weather’ across region
BEWARE OF severe weather. That is the warning from experts predicting flooding and severe travel disruption.
It comes as the remnants of Tropical Storm Henri heads towards the UK with forecasters predicting a deluge of rain and strong winds.
The poor weather was predicted to move across the country early today and will last into tomorrow.
The Met Office said a complex area of low pressure is expected to deepen over the Bay of Biscay, before pushing north towards the UK.
The forecaster said last night: “Rain will arrive into southern areas Wednesday morning, before spreading to the rest of the warning area through Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday.
“Rain should ease from the south during the day, though some heavy and thundery showers may develop across the southeast and East Anglia through the afternoon and evening.
“Most parts of the warning area should see 15-30 mm of rain, however some places could see as much as 40-70mm.”
It comes as the Met Office predicts the winter could be colder and snowier than normal. This year’s El Nino weather phenomenon could be the strongest since 1950, they say.
Met Office meteorologists said conditions could mirror those of the 2009/2010 winter which was so long and chilly it was dubbed ‘The Big Freeze.’
That winter, heavy snowfall brought transport chaos to much of the country with airports closed and train services suspended. In parts of Scotland temperatures dropped to -8.1F (-22.3C) as record 19 inch snowfall fell in the highlands. In December that year, the average UK temperature was just 30F (-1C), the coldest since records began.
Meanwhile, a large sinkhole has reappeared on a busy road in Manchester for the second time in as many months. The crater first appeared in August after rainfall and was caused by the erosion of a culvert beneath.
Some places in the warning area could see as much as 40-70mm. The Met Office