THE UK’s latest bout of extreme bad weather continues as Storm Ciaran has begun to cause disruption across the nation.
Amber weather warnings – signifying a possible danger to life – have been issued by the Met Office as the south west and south east of England and parts of Wales prepare for the arrival of Storm Ciaran.
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When did Storm Ciaran hit?
Storm Ciaran is expected to hit the UK in the evening of Wednesday, November 1 – though its full impact will be felt on Thursday, November 2.
Though the storm isn’t to officially hit until the night of November 1, the impact of Ciaran – the third named storm of the season – has already been felt.
Ahead of Ciaran’s arrival in the UK, parts of Northern Ireland were flooded, with people being warned not to travel.
The Met Office has reported that rainfall of between 75 and 100mm is expected this week.
Brits can also expect “very strong and potentially damaging winds associated with Storm Ciaran possible on Thursday”.
80mph winds are expected along the south coast of England, with more exposed areas at risk of speeds of up to 90mph.
Which areas have been affected by Storm Ciaran?
Some parts of Northern Ireland were hit with amber cautions in the lead up to Storm Ciaran’s arrival and the south west and south east of England and parts of Wales have now had similar alerts issued.
Amber alerts are used when conditions could hinder travel plans and cause possible danger to life and property while yellow warnings signify the weather will lead to to low-level disruption.
Much of Britain has been issued with yellow weather warnings, and the Met Office has warned that parts of southern England, South West Wales, Central and North East Scotland will be struck by severe flooding.
72 flood warnings and 172 flood alerts were issued across England ahead of Storm Ciaran hitting, while in Scotland there are 18 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts in place.
A red warning was put in place in Jersey from November 1 through to November 2, with resident urged to stay home.
Northern France is also expected to be impacted by the storm with winds of up to 100mph predicted.
Storm Ciaran comes just weeks after Storm Babet wreaked havoc across Britain, leaving seven people dead and around 1,250 homes around the UK flooded.
Ciaran is likely to see less rainfall than its predecessor but the amount of rain left in the wake of Babet means there is an increased risk of flooding in areas still recovering from the heavy downpours.
Where is Storm Ciaran expected to go next?
It’s thought that Storm Ciaran began brewing in the Atlantic before starting its journey to the UK and Northern France.
After sweeping the UK, the storm is expected to move over the North Sea.