Storm Bert to bring heavy rain and snow as Stoke-on-Trent braced for 49mph winds

Dave Knapper
·2-min read
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Families in Stoke-on-Trent are being warned of 49mph winds as Storm Bert takes aim at the UK. The forecast weekend conditions come after North Staffordshire has been battered by snow and plummeting temperatures this week.

However that is all set to change on Saturday when the Potteries is hit with heavy rain and gusts of around 49mph. It comes as much of the UK is under some kind of weather warning with North Staffordshire previously handed a yellow alert for rain and snow running from 4am on Saturday, November 23 to 9am on Sunday.

There are also yellow warnings for wind for other areas while central Scotland has an amber alert for snow and ice.

READ MORE: Met Office hits winter-hit Stoke-on-Trent with 22-hour snow and ice warning

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Before we reach the weekend and North Staffordshire has today been put under a yellow snow and ice warning that came in at noon and will go through to 10am on Friday.

The Met Office is predicting hours of heavy snow for the Moorlands and lighter flurries and sleet for Stoke-on-Trent. However that winter bite will be blown away come Saturday when temperatures creep up to the double figures but with it comes hours of heavy rain and strong wind.

Weather warnings across the UK on Saturday
Weather warnings across the UK on Saturday

Those strong winds are set to continue across North Staffordshire on Sunday (November 24) too where rain will turn light before giving way to a dry afternoon.

Today meteorologists have named Storm Bet which they say will bring 'heavy rain and snow, together with strong winds to large swathes of the country.'

Dan Holley, deputy chief meteorologist with the Met Office, said: "Storm Bert marks a shift to much milder air and wintry hazards will gradually diminish through the weekend, but heavy snowfall is expected across parts of northern England and Scotland for a time on Saturday, especially over higher ground, and warnings are in place. Heavy rain through Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern and western parts of the UK, will also bring impacts for some with a number of warnings in place. We expect 50-75 mm of rainfall quite widely within the warning areas, but in excess of 100 mm is possible over high ground in parts of Wales and southwest England.” In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend and periods of strong winds are likely to exacerbate impacts and bring the potential for travel disruption, as well as flooding for some.”

For the latest on the weather in North Staffordshire follow our ongoing blog here.

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