Heavy rain and winds to batter Britain as Storm Gareth swoops in
Written by News on 12/03/2019
Storm Gareth could bring travel disruption, power cuts and flooding as strong winds are set to hit parts of the UK.
The Met Office has issued several weather warnings as it confirmed another named storm will hit on Tuesday.
A yellow weather warning for rain is in place in parts of the North West, which the Met say could lead to flooding in some homes and businesses and longer journey times.
Warnings for wind are in place from late Tuesday evening across Northern Ireland and large swathes of mainland Britain, including the whole of England and Wales and the coastal regions of West Scotland.
Met Office chief meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said: “The strong north-westerly winds will also affect south west Scotland late on Tuesday, spreading across much of England and Wales through Wednesday.
“Gusts of 50 to 55mph (80 to 88kmh) are likely inland and up to 65mph (104kmh) along western coasts.
“Winds will gradually ease during the afternoon.”
The agency has warned there could be power cuts, and that coastal communities could be affected by large waves and spray.
Northern coasts could get gusts of 80mph (128kmh) and there could be 50 to 60mm of rainfall overnight in Cumbria.
Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: “The most disruptive winds are forecast to arrive from mid-late afternoon across southwest Scotland, Northern Ireland, Donegal, Sligo and Mayo with coasts likely to record gusts of 70 to 80mph.
“As the centre of Storm Gareth crosses Scotland overnight and moves out into the North Sea it will take the strongest winds south across England and Wales with gusts form 50 to 65mph.
“Expect some travel disruption.”
Stein Connelly from Transport Scotland said: “The high winds forecast for the west of Scotland could lead to some travel disruption, with potential for bridge restrictions in the affected areas and spray on coastal routes.
“The windy conditions are also likely to lead to disruption on other modes of transport, so we urge those planning to travel on trains, ferries and flights to check with their operators to see if their services are affected.”
He advised drivers to check the latest advice before making any journeys.
The storm was named by Met Eireann, the Irish weather service, and is the third named storm of the year, following Erik in February and Freya earlier this month.
It’s been caused by a deep area of low pressure.
Weather warnings will continue throughout the week, with yellow warnings for wind in place throughout the day on Wednesday in Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
Parts of the North East of England will face heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday, bringing another risk of flooding.
(c) Sky News 2019: Heavy rain and winds to batter Britain as Storm Gareth swoops in
