Two storms set to batter the UK from this afternoon could bring gusts of wind up to 95mph, the Met Office has warned.
Storm Dudley is set to arrive from this afternoon (February 16) followed swiftly by Storm Eunice on Friday (February 18) - bringing strong winds to the region.
Frank Saunders, Met Office chief meteorologist, said: “Significant disruption is possible from both Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice with strong winds one of the main themes of the current forecast.
“The most impactful winds from Dudley will be in the north on Wednesday afternoon, as shown in the amber warning area.
“Storm Eunice is expected to track eastwards from early on Friday, bringing the most significant winds to the central and southern areas of the UK, with some gusts possible in excess of 95mph in exposed coastal areas.”
The official weather warning in Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex for Friday’s storm was just upgraded to amber and will be in place from 3am until 9pm on Friday.
Firefighters in Cambridgeshire have warned residents to “be prepared” and “only travel if you need to” as they prepare for the storm to hit.
They said: “We are expecting very strong winds over the next few days as Storm Dudley arrives this afternoon, followed by Storm Eunice on Friday.
“We may see gusts of up to 70mph in some parts of Cambridgeshire.
“If you do go out, please take extra care driving and allow more time than usual for your journeys.
“Drive to the conditions and be aware of debris on the roads, and be cautious when passing high-sided vehicles on open roads.
“Make sure everything is secure in your garden, by ensuring loose items outside (furniture, toys, trampolines) are moved into a shed/garage or secured down to prevent them blowing away or getting damaged.
“Businesses - please check outside areas for unsecured items, like seating, umbrellas, gazebos.
“If you are out and about, please be careful of falling debris.”
A yellow warning for wind and snow has been issued covering Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland, where potentially up to 20cm of snow could accumulate over high ground, with up to 5cm possible in some lower areas.
Katharine Smith, Environment Agency flood duty manager, said: “Strong winds could bring coastal flooding to parts of the west, southwest and south coast of England, as well as the tidal River Severn, in the early hours of Friday morning.
“This is due to Storm Eunice resulting in high waves and potential storm surge coinciding with the start of a period of spring tides.
“Please remember to take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades. We urge people to stay safe on the coast and warn wave watchers against the unnecessary danger of taking ‘storm selfies’.
“Flooding of low-lying coastal roads is also possible and people should avoid driving through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
“You can check your flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates.”
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