After major disruptions were caused by Storm Ciara last weekend, Storm Dennis is set to bring more heavy rain and gales to the UK over the coming days.
Named by the Met Office, the impacts of Storm Dennis are not expected to be as extreme as Storm Ciara but will bring widespread strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK.
The system will develop in the North Atlantic before tracking eastwards towards the UK and Ireland over the coming days, passing to the north of Scotland on Saturday. A National Severe Weather Warning for wind has been issued for much of England and Wales, further warnings are likely to be issued in the coming days.
Steve Ramsdale, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: “Another spell of very wet and windy weather is expected for Saturday, although Storm Dennis is currently not expected to be as severe as Ciara disruption is still likely.
“Our confidence in the forecast means we have been able to issue severe weather warnings well in advance, giving people time to prepare for potential impacts of the storm.”
He added: ““With further warnings possible over the next few days people should keep up to date with the Met Office forecast using our website, app or by following us on social media.”
Over the weekend wind gusts will widely reach higher than 50mph, even across some inland areas, with gusts of over 60mph possible over hills, coastal areas and exposed locations. While these winds have the potential to bring impacts they are not as strong as the gusts we saw last weekend with Storm Ciara when a gust of 97mph was recorded on the Isle of Wight.
It is also expected that the storm will bring with it some heavy rain, which could pose a risk of further flooding with already saturated ground. Storm Dennis is also expected to bring a range of other impacts, including delays and cancellations to transport services, damage to power supplies and large coastal waves.
Ahead of Storm Dennis, weather this week will remain unsettled.
For advice on how to stay safe in the storm, read The Met Office advice here.
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