Storm Herminia to follow Eowyn with strong winds and heavy rain across the UK
As Storm Eowyn begins to fade, meteorologists warn that a new storm bringing more strong winds and heavy rain will sweep across the UK.
Despite a promising start on Sunday with "fine and dry" weather and a "decent amount of sunshine" in many regions, a new low-pressure system is looming from the southwest, threatening further potent gales and rainfall.
Dubbed Storm Herminia by Spanish meteorological services—owing to its expected impact on Spain with the strongest wind forces—it's forecasted to first strike the southwestern parts of England and Wales before progressing into Northern Ireland and northern England Sunday afternoon and reaching some areas of Scotland by evening.
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Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said: "This is certainly going to be a notch down compared to Eowyn, whilst there is the potential for 60 to 70mph gusts of wind across the very far southwest generally, we’re not going to be seeing the same strengths of winds as we have seen over the last couple of days."
However, he noted "there are a lot of sensitivities around" after Eowyn.
More than a million people across the UK experienced power outages during the storm, which also caused significant travel disruptions throughout the UK and Ireland.
UK ministers convened an emergency Cobra meeting on Saturday to co-ordinate recovery efforts, with additional engineers dispatched from England to Northern Ireland and Scotland. "Obviously places maybe currently have a bit of a lower threshold for wind strengths at this stage, following all the disruption and damage that’s been put in place", stated Mr Vautrey.
He added: "It is something that people certainly need to be wary of, and still taking care of, as we head into Sunday and into the start of the new working week as well – the risk of localised flooding, further flying debris and travel disruption is possible as a result of all of this."
The low-pressure system will persist through Monday and Tuesday, bringing bouts of rain, occasional heavy showers and gusty winds in some areas. A yellow warning for wind has been issued for the south-east, south-west and north-west England, as well as Wales and south-western parts of Scotland, from 8am to 3pm on Sunday.
Gusts of 50mph to 60mph are expected widely and they could reach 70mph on exposed coasts and hills, according to the Met Office. Another yellow warning for "strong and gusty winds" will be active from Monday at 6am until the same time on Tuesday in the east, south-east and south-west of England and Wales.
Most of central and southern England and much of Wales have a yellow warning for heavy rain in place from 8am on Sunday to 6am on Monday, indicating a chance of local flooding for parts of the UK.
The Met Office has issued a stark warning that 10 to 20mm of rain is expected, with the potential for 30 to 50mm on higher ground. A particularly heavy downpour on Sunday evening could see figures soar to around 80mm.
"Given recent heavy rain, this extra rainfall could lead to some local surface water and river flooding" the Met Office cautioned. A yellow heavy rain warning is in place for the West Midlands and most of Wales from 6am until 11.59pm on Monday.
The weather experts predict another low-pressure system will sweep in from the south-west on Wednesday. Mr Vautrey remarked: "South-western areas certainly bearing the brunt this time in terms of the most unsettled conditions."
He also noted that "The first half of next week, still pretty unsettled." However, there are hints of more settled weather for much of the UK by next weekend.
Reflecting on Storm Eowyn, the meteorologist described it as "somewhat extraordinary". He explained that multiple weather systems are converging due to the jet stream's current position.
"It’s being fuelled by the cold wave that they’ve had recently over the United States and Canada, and that contrast between the cold air there, and the mild air pushing in from the equator is helping to fuel this very powerful jet stream across the Atlantic at the moment."
He further clarified: "It’s the exact positioning of the jet stream that determines who sees the low pressure and who sees the strongest winds."
Initially, this pattern steered Storm Eowyn towards the northwest of the UK, resulting in the strongest winds impacting that area.
"Whereas with this next system that the Spanish have named, because the jet stream is just slightly further south now, it’s pushing it a little bit more to the south of the UK, but into parts of continental Europe as well – that’s why they’re seeing the strongest winds".