Yet another deep low pressure weather system is going to move eastwards across the country on Saturday the 8th of February, bringing severe gale force winds and heavy rain. There is a possibility that this particular storm, dubbed storm Ruth, will bring stronger winds than we have seen with storms in the last few weeks. Weather charts show this to be a particularly deep area of low pressure, capable of producing some very strong winds. Gusts of 90mph are expected on the coast, and up to 60mph inland.
The worst of the weather is expected to affect the south west of England, Wales and coastal areas on the Bristol channel. The South East is also expected to see very strong winds and heavy rain. There are Met Office Amber severe weather warnings of rain and wind in force for South West and South East England.
Unfortunately, with the wind will come some prolonged periods of heavy rain, which will not be welcomed by the many areas already affected by flooding. Somerset, one of the counties most severely affected by flooding, will sadly see a great deal more rain over the coming 24 hours, and indeed, the next few days. There are currently 2 severe flood warnings (meaning danger to life), and 188 flood warnings (meaning immediate action advised) in force across the UK. Expect these numbers to increase over the course of Saturday.
Strong winds are expected to whip up large waves in the Atlantic, which will affect south-western facing coast on Saturday. The public is advised to avoid affected coastal areas.
There is real potential for travel disruption on Saturday. Surface flooding and even fallen trees could cause disruption on the road network, and flooding and obstructions could also cause problems on the rail network. There is also the potential for disruption to power supplies locally.
Another storm is expected to hit the UK on Wednesday the 12th February. Early indications are that an extremely deep area of low pressure will move across the Atlantic, rapidly deepening, and hitting our shores some time on Wednesday. It's too early to say for sure but the storm on Wednesday is looking to be particularly severe. We will keep you posted on this when we know more.
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