Strong winds sweep southern UK as Met Office issues yellow warning — but the system is not a named storm
Gusts of up to 78 mph recorded and travel disruption reported as forecasters say the low-pressure system falls short of criteria for a named storm
Strong winds sweeping across the southern half of the UK on Monday prompted a Met Office yellow warning and caused local travel disruption, including the temporary closure of the M48 Severn Bridge, but forecasters said the weather system does not meet the threshold to be given a storm name.
A gust of 78 mph (125 km/h) was recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight on Sunday night. The Met Office warning, valid until 1800 BST on Monday, covers Wales and most of England away from the far north and warns of widespread gusts of 45–55 mph (72–89 km/h) inland and 60–70 mph (97–113 km/h) around exposed coasts and over hills.
The yellow warning cited risks of disruption on roads and at airports, possible delays on railways and some loss of power as large waves and strong gusts affected coastal and elevated areas. Network Rail warned of potential delays on rail services. The Met Office said the strongest winds should begin to ease during Monday evening.
Despite significant gusts and local impacts, the Met Office — which coordinates storm naming with the Irish and Dutch weather services — said the system was unlikely to warrant an amber or red warning and therefore would not be given a name. Storms are named when they are expected to have sufficiently severe impacts to justify higher-level warnings; early forecasts had suggested the low pressure could develop into a named event, but more recent modelling reduced the likelihood of major disruption.
Heavy rain accompanied the windy conditions, particularly across northern and western parts of the UK. Some areas of southern and western England have already recorded more than their average rainfall for the whole of September, as the jet stream has shifted southward with the start of meteorological autumn, directing more wind- and rain-bearing systems toward the UK.
Forecasters said the unsettled pattern would continue through the week. After a quieter Tuesday with some sunshine for many, Wednesday was forecast to bring heavy rain to several regions and strengthening winds by midweek, with a risk of gales in northern Scotland by Thursday. There remained considerable uncertainty about how the weather systems would evolve later in the month; some computer models suggest a chance of higher pressure and drier conditions toward the end of September, but that outcome is not certain.
A brief spell of warmer weather was possible at the end of the week, with daytime temperatures in parts of south-east England forecast to reach about 24C (75F) on Friday, before northerly winds were expected to return over the weekend bringing cooler conditions and more rain in places.
Officials noted that despite recent wet conditions in parts of the country, there was no immediate suggestion that hosepipe bans and other water restrictions would be lifted. The Met Office and other agencies urged the public to stay updated via official forecasts and to prepare for possible local travel disruption while the yellow warning remained in force.