Weather maps have provided a new angle on the coming Norwegian storm that has prompted Met Office “danger to life” warnings for parts of the UK.
A windy system will sweep over the country in the evening on Wednesday, December 20, the agency has warned, bringing gale-force gusts to several dozen areas the following day. Weather warnings activate in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, December 21, when “strong west to northwesterly winds” make landfall over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Maps from WXCharts show the wind making landfall from the tip of Scotland in the night tomorrow, with ugly red and purple streaks flowing towards the southeasternmost tip of England early the next morning. Forecasters have said the gales are hurtling towards Brits from Norway and could cause widespread disruption during some of the busiest travel days of the year.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a Met Office meteorologist said northern regions in the UK will shoulder the brunt of conditions caused by low pressure over Norway interacting with high pressure over the Atlantic Ocean.
The forecaster said wind speeds would “quite likely” reach 50 to 60mph widely, and up to 70 to 80mph “in some exposed spots” over higher ground. Strong “gusty winds” could also affect the Pennines, specifically around York and Sheffield, where wind speeds could reach between 60 and 70mph, they added.
The Met Office’s yellow warning extends more than 700 miles across the country, from Newmarket in England to Lerwick in northernmost Scotland.
The wind may cause damage to buildings, power cuts, and “injuries or danger to life” from large waves and beach materials throwing their weight on the coast.
The agency also warned that there is a “small chance” journeys could be disrupted and that there may be cancellations to public travel services, including trains and aeroplanes.
Travel trouble could disrupt millions of people’s plans this week, with the AA having issued an “amber traffic warning” ahead of expected mass movement on the roads just hours after the warnings expire.
The two busiest travel days of the season will fall on Friday, December 22 and Saturday, December 23, the organisation expects.
More than 30 million journeys will likely take place during that time, with 16.1 million predicted for December 22 and another 16.4 million the following day.
The AA’s “amber traffic warning” anticipates “lengthy jams” on UK traffic arteries, including the M25, M5 between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, and the M6 around Birmingham.
