Storm Jocelyn to ‘pack a punch’ as UK braces itself for second storm after Isha claimed five lives amid 107mph winds

23 January 2024, 06:10 | Updated: 23 January 2024, 06:12

Storm Jocelyn is set to hit today.
Storm Jocelyn is set to hit today. Picture: Alamy/Getty/Met Office

By Jenny Medlicott

Jocelyn is set to come in hot on the heels of Storm Isha which saw 100mph gusts and killed five people.

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Jocelyn, which is set to be the 10th storm of the season, is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain on Tuesday.

Five yellow weather alerts have been issued for parts of the UK on Tuesday, followed by an amber alert later in the evening.

The Met Office weather map shows that heavy rain from the new storm will begin in northern England as early as 11am with “flooding of a few homes and businesses likely”.

From noon, strong winds are expected to pick up their pace moving slightly further south and impacting areas in the Midlands and south Wales.

Delays to rail, air and ferry are expected as the storm hits.

Jocelyn is expected to increase in intensity from 4pm onwards with strong winds expected in Scotland, with an amber alert issued from 6pm in northern Scotland.

ScotRail announced on Monday that all trains will be suspended from 7pm on Tuesday and there will be no services on Wednesday morning.

Read more: Sir Keir Starmer says Labour would ‘get ahead’ of torrential weather - as five killed by Storm Isha

Read more: Flights to UK and Ireland diverted to Europe amid Storm Isha chaos, as passengers 'forced to sleep on the floor'

Storm Isha impacted much of the UK.
Storm Isha impacted much of the UK. Picture: Alamy

Despite Jocelyn arriving hot on the heels of Isha which saw gusts of up to 100mph, the new storm is expected to be a “slight notch down”.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “Tuesday will be quite a wet day for many people with a rain front bringing the chance of disruption.

"Higher windspeeds will start to develop overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

"Windspeeds from Storm Jocelyn will be a slight notch down from Storm Isha, but with the clean up still underway, more disruption is likely."

Meanwhile, X account UK Weather Updates warned that while the gusts are expected to be dialed down, they will still “pack a punch”.

Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: “Although this system will be a step down relative to Storm Isha, with the damage and clean up still underway, we could potentially see more impacts from Storm Jocelyn.

“Outbreaks of heavy rain on Tuesday could bring rainfall accumulations of 15 to 20mm quite widely with 40 to 50mm over higher ground in southwest Scotland, the Scottish Highlands and parts of northwest England.

“Wind gusts are expected to reach 55 to 65mph across northwestern Scotland while there is potential for winds to gust to reach 75 to 80mph in a few places, in particular exposed parts of the Western Isles and coastal northwest Scotland early on Wednesday morning.”

Storm Jocelyn means no respite from the disruptive weather across the UK.
Storm Jocelyn means no respite from the disruptive weather across the UK. Picture: Alamy

The amber alert has warned of power cuts and potential damage to buildings, as well as a risk of danger to life from “large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads”.

It comes after Storm Isha claimed at least five lives as it battered parts of the country overnight, bringing with it winds of up to 107mph. Around 70,000 people remained without power and transport services remained disrupted throughout the country.

In Bradford, a man died in a fall down a manhole when safety barriers were destroyed in high winds. The victim suffered a fatal head injury after falling into the exposed hole.

Meanwhile, a man in his 60s in Northern Ireland died on Sunday evening when his van hit a fallen tree, as well as an 84-year-old man who drove into a fallen tree in Grangemouth, Falkirk.

A woman in her 20s died after a van she was a passenger in crashed into a tree and a man in his 40s died in a car crash in Co Mayo.

The Met Office said the highest recorded wind speed during Storm Isha was 99mph at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland, with gusts of 90mph at Capel Curig in Snowdonia on Sunday.

While Transport for Scotland reported gusts of 107mph in Tay Bridge overnight on Sunday.

A rare red warning for wind in north-east Scotland was in place until 5am on Monday, with amber warnings covering much of the UK until 6am and further yellow warnings covering the entire country until noon.