As Storm Bert approaches, it is set to be a stormy weekend of weather across the UK with warnings issued for many areas including 3 separate warnings for Rain, Snow and Strong winds for Cumbria.
Unlike recent yellow weather warnings issued by the Met office for the local area not reflecting the weather over recent days StormBert looks set to blow in over the weekend and deliver strong winds and snow across large parts of the country with rail operators already cancelling services in the North and power companies gearing up for disruption to power supplies.
Seven New National Severe Weather Warnings including an Amber warning for parts of Scotland and two yellow warnings for Cumbria have been issued for Saturday and Sunday by the Met Office as Storm Bert heads towards the UK. The weather system will bring heavy rain and snow, together with strong winds to large swathes of the country.
A Yellow Weather Warning form strong winds for Cumbria is in place covering from 5am Saturday until 7pm Saturday.
A separate yellow weather warning for Cumbria is in place for rain and snow from 4am until 9am Sunday.
Ahead of Storm Bert, wintry showers will continue to impact parts of the UK into Friday evening, particularly exposed areas in the north. As a brief ridge of high pressure moves in though, Friday will bring a drier and brighter end to the week. It will still feel very chilly, with maximum temperatures of just 7 or 8 degrees Celsius.
Jason Kelly is a Met Office Chief Meteorologist and said: “Storm Bert starts to arrive overnight on Friday and into Saturday, initially over Northern Ireland. As we go through the first part of Saturday morning, it will start to show its hand across Scotland, north Wales and northern England, with the potential for some heavy snowfall, especially over higher ground. Warnings are in place, including an amber warning for snow and ice for parts of Scotland.”
Storm Bert is also expected to bring heavy rain through Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern and western parts of the UK.
Jason said: “Heavy rainfall will affect much of the UK this weekend. Rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning across southwest and southern England, becoming particularly heavy and persistent overnight and into Sunday.
“Accumulations of 50-75 mm are expected to fall fairly widely during this time. There is a chance that some places over Dartmoor for example, could see 100-150 mm. In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend may bring flooding for some.”
Strong southerly winds will accompany the heavy rain, and warnings are in place in both the south and north. Gusts could peak at 50-60 mph in many parts of the warning areas, and could even reach in excess of 70 mph along some exposed coasts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland.
Jason Kelly said: “Storm Bert is what we call a ‘multi-hazard event’, bringing snow, rain and wind to the UK for the majority of the weekend. Multiple National Severe Weather Warnings are in place and will be added to and amended over the weekend. It’s possible this may be at short notice, so it is important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast.”
Mark Nash, National Network Manager at National Highways, said: “With the arrival of Storm Bert it is important to plan ahead for your journey, and if weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care.
Avanti West Coast are advising customers not to travel North of Preston on Saturday (23rd November) due to the disruption expected from Storm Bert. Avanti Destinations North of Preston include Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
If you were due to travel on this route, your existing ticket can now be used anytime from Friday 22 November to the end of service on Monday 25 November.
TransPennine Express has cancelling services running North of Carlisle due to Storm Bert on Saturday (23rd November).
Electricity North West engineers are on standby as Storm Bert is set to hit the region this weekend.
The network operator has plans in place to monitor and respond to any network damage caused by the storm.
Alan Astall, head of network control for Electricity North West, said: “We have well-rehearsed plans in place to minimise any impacts for residents and businesses. Strong winds can blow debris into overhead lines causing power cuts, while snow and heavy rain can cause access issues for our teams.
“Our main priority is safety so if you do notice any damage to the network, for example damaged overhead lines or electricity poles, contact us immediately by calling 105.
“And if you or someone you know would be adversely affected by a power cut, you can join our free Extra Care Register for a bit of additional help and support."
Storm Bert is the second named storm of winter after Storm Ashley caused multiple power cuts in October where engineers responded quickly to restore power to more than 20,000 properties.
Alan added: “We actively manage the power network 24/7, 365 days a year but when bad weather is forecast we step up the number of teams we have on standby so we can respond quickly.
“We prepare throughout the year with our teams of tree cutters cutting back trees from overhead lines, and our engineering teams installing new equipment to identify network issues and restore power faster to reduce the impact on customers."
The Penrith.Town team will bring live updates as Storm Bert arrives along with details of any road closures or power cuts in the area along with updates on local events planned for the weekend that may be cancelled or going ahead as planned.
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