The Met Office has issued a ‘danger to life’ warning as Storm Ashley is poised to batter parts of the UK. Winds of up to 80mph are expected to sweep across the British Isles tomorrow on Sunday (October 20) as the storm approaches the northern parts of the UK.
The combination of heavy rain and fierce winds has prompted the Met Office to issue an amber alert for the northwest of Scotland, effective from 9am on Sunday until around midnight. A yellow wind warning has also been put in place for all of Scotland, western and north Wales, Northern Ireland and Cumbria during the same period.
Cities, towns and villages within the amber zone could experience gusts as powerful as 80mph, with the Met Office warning that “injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties.”
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To add to the woes, there’s also a “good chance” of power cuts which could disrupt services like mobile phone coverage. Property damage is another concern as the strong winds could potentially blow tiles off roofs.
(Image: The Met Office)
Residents in the affected areas have been urged to safeguard their property and loved ones from harm. An online weather map indicates that Greater Manchester is likely to escape the worst of the storm, however, gusts of 40mph are anticipated at 9am on Sunday, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The Met Office advises people to check for loose items outside their homes and plan how best to secure them. Items to watch out for include: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.
Travel disruptions and cancellations are expected, with potential closures of some roads and bridges. The yellow wind warning for northern Scotland will persist until 9am on Monday due to Storm Ashley, which is set to hit the UK after initially impacting the Republic of Ireland.
Ashleigh Robson, Head of transport resilience at Transport Scotland, warned: “Storm Ashley is set to bring widespread disruption for travel on Sunday and into Monday. Passengers should certainly check with their operator, and with some families off enjoying the October school holidays, we would advise them to play close attention to any cross-border travel updates too.”
She added: “The Multi-Agency Response Team will be in position to take decisions, oversee the network, and advise the public and update Ministers over the weekend as the storm sweeps into parts of Scotland.”
She further cautioned that: “The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs and we would urge drivers to take note of the conditions, debris on the roads and trees falling onto some roads is a strong possibility. The forecasted rain will make visibility difficult when driving and could result in some localised flooding.”
She also noted that: “Disruption on ferry services is very likely, rail services and flights may also be impacted. Please check with you transport operator for the latest information.”
She concluded by saying: “The decision to cancel services is never taken lightly, but safety of passengers has to be the priority. Please plan ahead.”
List of areas covered by amber wind warning (Sunday from 9am to 11.59pm)
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
List of areas covered by yellow wind warning (Sunday from 3am to 11.59pm)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
North West England
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
W Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
Wales
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- GwyneddIsle of Anglesey
- Pembrokeshire
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