The arrival of Storm Ellen in Ireland and western parts of the UK will see the UK hit with conditions expected in the winter. People on camping holidays have been warned that trees could easily come down as parts of the UK braced for winds of more than 70mph to hit.
A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind stretches from the north of Scotland down to the Cornish coast and is in place until the early hours of Friday.
Warnings of potential travel delays and the possibility of power cuts will extend eastwards on Friday to also include central and northern England, as well as all of Wales.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale said: “Following the recent hot and thundery weather we are seeing a significant change to very unsettled conditions for August with an unseasonal spell of strong winds associated with low-pressure centres for the second half of the week.
“Uncertainty remains high in the intensity of these systems at this point, but we are confident in the change to a spell of much windier weather.
Met Office wind warning: The UK will be hit with wet and windy weather as Storm Ellen sweeps across (Image: WXCHARTS)
Met Office wind warning: The arrival of Storm Ellen in Ireland and western parts of the UK will see the UK hit with conditions expected in the winter (Image: WXCHARTS)
“Tropical air associated with a decayed tropical cyclone is being drawn towards the UK, and the marked contrast between this warm and moist air with normal North Atlantic air-masses can lead to a very vigorous system.”
The Met Office has issued a wind warning for western parts of the UK from 8pm on Wednesday until 23:59pm on Thursday.
Forecaster Luke Miall said Ellen will be felt “for the next couple of days.”
He said the storm is “not going to move through really quickly so we will continue to see a really big area of low pressure through the rest of this week.”
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Met Office wind warning: People on camping holidays have been warned that trees could easily come down as parts of the UK braced for winds of more than 70mph to hit (Image: MET OFFICE )
Northern Ireland is expected to face the worst of the winds, with inland gusts up to 65mph, and top speeds of 75mph on the coast.
People in western Scotland down to the south-west of England will also see winds of up to 65mph, which the Met Office forecaster described as “fairly strong for the time of year”.
Mr Miall said: “This is fairly unusual for August, we’d usually see this through the autumn and winter months”.
“Given that the trees are still in leaf and a lot of people are on the holidays in the UK there could be some impacts of trees coming down more easily than what they would in the winter.
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Met Office wind warning: A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind stretches from the north of Scotland down to the Cornish coast and is in place until the early hours of Friday (Image: WXCHARTS )
“With people camping, impacts are likely to be a bit greater.”
The stormy conditions come just a week after scorching temperatures across the UK with the mercury hitting 34C for six consecutive days.
Mr Miall said: “We have gone from one extreme to the other, the first thing that springs to my mind with these sorts of events is climate change.
“We are likely to see these swings in extreme events more frequently.
Met Office wind warning: Warnings of potential travel delays and the possibility of power cuts will extend eastwards on Friday to also include central and northern England, as well as all of Wales (Image: WXCHARTS)
“Although I couldn’t necessarily say these.”
Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert said: “Along with the sometimes heavy rain, strong winds have the potential to cause impacts that are not common in August.
“With this spell of unsettled weather coinciding with trees in full leaf and a peak in the camping season, wind-related impacts are more likely at lower wind speeds compared to other times of the year, particularly across Northern Ireland where winds are forecast to be strongest.”
Experts also warned the storm could cause travel chaos this week.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “This spell of autumnal-feeling weather is going to make driving conditions very unpleasant for a lot of us over the next few days.
“Strong winds will mean journeys by road will take longer than usual, and could be affected by fallen branches on the roads. Add in some very intense rainfall and drivers will need to take real care to complete their trips safely.
“We urge every driver heading out to make sure their car is up to the task to avoid a breakdown in the wind and rain, especially if they’re towing or taking a longer trip – in particular check the condition and pressure of all tyres before setting out.
“When driving, slow down and pay close attention to high-sided vehicles and other drivers with caravans and trailers to give yourself plenty of time to react should any run into difficulties.”
