Storm Amy to hit Shropshire on Saturday - here's when and what to expect
Storm Amy is set to hit Shropshire and the West Midlands on Saturday, but is expected to gradually pass over the weekend and be followed by a week of pleasant autumn weather.
Met Office amber warnings for wind have been issued as Storm Amy will bring very strong winds and heavy rain for many in the north of the UK in the coming days, while Shropshire and the West Midlands have been given a yellow warning for wind from midnight tonight to 7pm on Saturday (October 4).
Storm Amy developed in the Atlantic, and will bring disruptive wet and windy weather for much of Scotland (where there's an amber weather warning), Northern Ireland, northwest England and northwest Wales from Friday afternoon and into Saturday.
The Met Office says that today (Friday) will be wet and windy across Shropshire and the West Midlands too, with rain forecast from the early morning through to 10pm.
Across the evening the rain is expected to clear, with varying dry and wet spells overnight as well as winds.
Saturday will see unsettled showers and longer spells of rain, but sunny spells are possible and as evening approaches the weather will be much drier.
What to expect on Saturday:
Possibly some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
Some short-term loss of power and other services is possible
Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely
Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are possible
Here's the 'Very Wind' Met Office weather forecast for Shropshire and the West Midlands
Today:
Some sunshine for many first thing, but quickly clouding over with showery rain. Sunny intervals developing by the afternoon with isolated showers. Strong and gusty westerly winds developing. Feeling colder. Maximum temperature 14 °C.
Tonight:
Staying windy this evening and overnight although the winds will ease a little. Whilst a few showers are possible, these locally heavy, many places becoming dry with clear periods. Minimum temperature 8 °C.
Sunday:
A fairly changeable day with the chance of isolated showers, though many places staying dry. Often large amounts of cloud but occasional sunny spells too. Still breezy but winds easing. Maximum temperature 16 °C.
Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Mainly dry on Monday and Tuesday with a mixture of cloudy periods and sunny spells and feeling quite a bit milder again. Probably cloudier on Wednesday with showery rain possible.
Storm Amy has been named in line with the Met Office’s storm naming protocol, which aims to improve public awareness and readiness for impactful weather.
The storm’s evolution is being closely monitored, with its development influenced by the remnants of Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda over the tropical Atlantic. These systems have accelerated the jet stream, contributing to the formation and intensification of Storm Amy.
'Check your travel plans'
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said the storm was “certainly making her presence known” across the country as winds in excess of 100mph were expected on Friday night.
“Thankfully, the really, really strong winds will begin to ease a tad as we go into the smaller hours of Saturday morning, but we are still going to be seeing gusts reaching between 70 and 90 miles an hour across northern Scotland as we go throughout most of tomorrow,” he said on Friday.
“Elsewhere across the UK, we’ve got warnings covering virtually the whole of the country, and even across the south we could see gusts reaching about 40 to 50 miles an hour in places.”
Mr Snell said that while the strongest gusts were expected on Friday night, high winds on Saturday could still potentially “bring disruption and also some damage in places”.
The forecaster added that those looking to travel on Saturday should check their routes, expect delays and, if necessary, amend plans.
Those in the warning areas have been advised to secure loose items outside their properties against strong winds and check whether their properties could be at risk of flooding and to prepare accordingly.
As of Friday evening, a yellow warning for wind is in place on Sunday from midnight until 9am covering the Orkney and Shetland Islands, Highlands, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
