Met Office warning over more monster 70mph winds that will cause travel chaos

27 January 2024 , 07:19

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Met Office warning over more monster 70mph winds that will cause travel chaos

Communities should today prepare for power cuts, travel delays and destructive waves at the coast due to gales of up to 70mph.

A yellow weather warning is in place for wind, the Met Office says, as forecasters anticipate gales of up to 70mph throughout this morning in Highlands & Eilean Siar and Orkney & Shetland in Scotland.

The Met Office said on its website: "A spell of very windy weather is likely to cause some travel disruption." It lists multiple expected consequences of the bumper winds, including;

• Some delays to road, air and ferry transport are likely
• Some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will likely be affected by spray and/or large waves
• Some short term loss of power and other services is possible
• Probably some bus services affected, with some journeys taking longer
• Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely

The yellow weather warning concerns Highlands & Eilean Siar and Orkney & Shetland at the moment, though this may get extended (Met Office)

Conditions are expected to be rather breezy again today (PA Archive/PA Images)

Gusts will be strongest along the coast, where 70mph could be recorded, but inland, speeds of 60mph are more likely. The weather warning is in place until 11am but it'll remain windy - albeit weaker - throughout the day across the UK.

"Winds will increase quickly towards dawn Saturday across the Northern Isles with gusts generally reaching 50-60mph but with a smaller chance of 70mph gusts. Winds will quickly ease from late morning," the Met Office website added.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Forecasters believe it'll also be particularly windy across northwest England today, though no warnings have been issued elsewhere. It'll be warmer across the UK today than in recent days, with temperatures likely to reach 13C in Belfast and 12C in Glasgow.

It'll stay windy and wet in many places today (PA)

But, after rain during Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn, ground is saturated across some regions, such as North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire. Nine flood warnings were last night in place across England alone, including an alert for River Ouse in York city centre. The river burst its banks this week.

Experts say the UK has experienced so many storms in such a short space of time, largely because of the recent positions of jetstreams, and how these influence low-pressure systems that move in off the Atlantic. Jetstreams guide the movement and direction of low pressures and, this month, the activity of these has led to low pressures moving swiftly across the UK.

Bradley Jolly