UK driving conditions harzardous amid ‘heavy rain and thunderstorms’
Written by News on 09/08/2019
‘Unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain’ are making Friday morning’s rush hour hazardous for drivers in parts of the UK.
Britons are being urged not to travel today in some parts amid fears of flooding and trees being toppled by the intense gales.
A Met Office spokesman said: “There is some fairly heavy rain and thunderstorms from Bristol, up through Wales and into Northern Ireland. That will transfer eastwards over the next few hours, causing poor driving conditions in places.”
Warnings for rain and wind have come into force across nearly all of the UK on Friday.
Westerly regions were expected to be hit first as the Met Office issued a yellow wind warning set to begin this afternoon. It covers West Wales, Devon and Cornwall, but also stretches to parts of the Channel coast.
The bad weather is set to continue into Saturday, with a second warning coming into force. It will cover Wales, southern and central England, including Blackpool, Huddersfield and Grimsby.
Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “This low-pressure system will bring challenging conditions, including unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain, from the west during Friday and Saturday.
“Summer storms – compared with those in autumn and winter – always have the potential to create additional impacts because more people are likely to be outdoors, especially by the coast.
“Additionally with trees in full leaf they are more vulnerable to being brought down by strong winds.”
Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, urged drivers to “consider if their journey is necessary”.
“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down and avoid using exposed sections of road if possible,” he said.
The RNLI has warned those visiting the coast to beware of large waves and storms.
Despite around 1,500 residents recently being allowed home after the damaged Toddbrook Reservoir was deemed safe, the warnings are also in place at Whaley Bridge.
Derbyshire Police confirmed if the water reached a “level of concern, the residents in the evacuation zone will be the first to know”.
Ahead of this weekend, Boardmasters Festival, in Newquay, was called off on Wednesday and other events have been scaled back, including Houghton, a Norfolk dance music festival.
The weather will improve across much of the country by Sunday, apart from northern England where thunderstorms are forecast.
No weather warnings are currently forecast for Monday.
(c) Sky News 2019: UK driving conditions harzardous amid ‘heavy rain and thunderstorms’
