A yellow weather warning had been issued, as Storm Claudio has moved into the UK, and experts say that we can expect 70mph winds and intense rainfall.
On Monday night, Halloween trick-or-treaters were greeted by heavy rainfall, and a yellow weather warning was issued for Tuesday morning, up until 8am. This was followed by another warning for Wednesday, which stretches all the way from 7am to 6pm.
Winds are forecast to reach 55 – 60 mph over the entire warning area, which lies over east of the United Kingdom, however some isolated coastal areas will experience winds in excess of 70mph. At least 10 – 20 mm of rain will fall during the day, but in some locations, there could be around 50 mm. Flooding is likely.
Despite how fierce the winds have been, and will be in the United Kingdom, Northern France will bear the brunt of the storm, and so Storm Claudio was named using their system, by Météo-France.
The storm is moving eastwards, but lighter rain will continue, especially in southern and central England. It seems this will be a particularly wet week for most of the United Kingdom, although the wind may have died down.
Steven Keates, the Deputy Chief Meteorologist, had this to say:
“Within the warning area, gusts are expected of between 55 and 65mph. This is associated with low pressure moving towards the northwest of the UK, which is bringing with it some heavy rain on Wednesday, especially across parts of southwest Scotland, Cumbria and western Wales, although much of the UK will see some rain through the day. In addition to high winds in the warning area, many parts of the UK will experience strong and gusty winds, at least for a time, during Wednesday."
This storm has already wreaked havoc on local communities, with many trees falling down, such as one blocking part of a hospital on the Isle of Wight. More struggles include the collapse of a pier in Brighton and power cuts being experienced in New Forest.
Overall, Storm Claudio has been affecting many people, but it is not quite over yet. People are advised to be careful, and stay safe.
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