'Danger to life' warning as Storm Ashley forms 'weather bomb' with 80mph winds and heavy rain set to strike

19 October 2024, 11:24

Storm Ashley is forecast to batter the UK with strong winds and heavy rain – as the Met Office announces a ‘danger to life’ weather warning.

The storm is set to hit Northern Ireland, Scotland, some parts of Wales, and northern England.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning about the storm, stating: "Injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties."

Storm Ashely, which marks the first named storm of the season, follows an unusually warm weather week in October where some parts of the UK experienced 20C heat.

The north-west of Scotland has been issued with an amber weather warning, which is from 9am on Sunday until midnight.

The whole of Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as some parts of north-west England and Wales, have also been issued with a yellow warning. This alert will be between 3am and midnight.

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Tony Wisson, Met Office Deputy Chief Metereologist, said: “Storm Ashley will bring strong winds for most of the UK on Sunday before it clears on Monday, with a chance of some disruption across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northwest England and West Wales.

“A period of especially strong winds are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening in western Scotland, where gusts could potentially reach 70-80mph in exposed areas and an Amber warning for winds has been issued here.

"More generally 50-60 mph are possible in some inland areas in other parts of the warning area, especially Northern Ireland and western Scotland, and perhaps up to 60-70 mph along exposed coasts and hills. 

"These strong winds in conjunction with high spring tides, may cause some disruption."

As these regions brace for strong gusts of up to 80mph, power cuts are also a likely byproduct of Storm Ashley, potentially impacting mobile phone coverage.

There is also a likelihood of damage to buildings, including roof tiles.

Travel is also set to be heavily impacted by the strong blows, according to Ashleigh Robson, Head of Transport Resilience at Transport Scotland: “Storm Ashley is set to bring widespread disruption for travel on Sunday and into Monday.

"Passengers should certainly check with their operator, and with some families off enjoying the October school holidays, we would advise them to play close attention to any cross-border travel updates too.

“The Multi Agency Response Team will be in position to take decisions, oversee the network, and advise the public and update Ministers over the weekend as the storm sweeps into parts of Scotland.

“The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs and we would urge drivers to take note of the conditions, debris on the roads and trees falling onto some roads is a strong possibility. The forecasted rain will make visibility difficult when driving and could result in some localised flooding."

Ferry services, rail services, and flights are also likely to be disrupted.

Storm Ashley may eventually ease as it travels to the east on Monday, with ‘sunny spells’ and ‘scattered showers’ to follow.

The next week may be ‘unsettled’, with some parts of the UK experiencing extended periods of rainfall.

The formation of Storm Ashley is likely to have begun on Friday night off the coast of Canada.

On Friday evening, Aidan McGivern, Met Office meteorologist, said: "At the time of recording, Storm Ashley is on the other side of the Atlantic and a relatively shallow area of low pressure.

"It deepens rapidly as it gets picked up by the jet stream during Saturday and ends up as a particularly deep area of low pressure, with a widespread swathe of gales and wind gusts in excess of 60mph for many western and northern parts of the country."

He added that gusts will strengthen in the early hours of Sunday, while rain is forecast to sweep across the west of the UK and Northern Ireland.

Winds of 50 to 60mph and rain are likely to hit western regions of the UK, with coastal areas likely to be most affected.

However, northern and western regions of the UK are set to be the worst hit areas, with a chance of 70mph to 80mph gales.

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland's head of road policing, said: “The amber warning for high winds means a strong likelihood of disruption and, as such, motorists are advised to plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel

“If you are travelling, make sure your vehicle has sufficient fuel and is completely roadworthy. Ensure your mobile phone is fully charged and take additional clothing and water with you.

“Please do not ignore any road signage advising of changes to speed or closures to routes.”