Britons are preparing for extensive disruption as Storm Éowyn is poised to hit the nation with winds reaching up to 90mph, prompting an uncommon amber weather alert issued by the Met Office.
The Met Office has also cautioned about potential blizzard conditions as the fierce winds are expected to coincide with up to 10 inches of snow, heightening the risks of harm and posing a threat to life for residents in affected areas. Severe winds may lead to power outages, travel disturbances, and structural damage to properties.
Anticipated snowfall of up to 25cm (10 inches) is forecasted to blanket Scotland’s Central Belt on the same day, with the likelihood of blizzard conditions causing delays and hazardous driving situations. As Storm Éowyn progresses across the northwest, life-threatening situations could arise from airborne debris, large waves, and coastal materials being hurled onto seaside areas, coastal roads, and properties.
The Met Office stated: “Storm Éowyn will traverse the northwest of the UK on Friday, moving northeastwards by Friday night.
“This will bring a period of extremely forceful westerly to southwesterly winds, with peak gusts of 60-70mph widely inland, 70-80mph in certain regions, and 80-90mph along more exposed coastal and hilly areas (potentially even higher in select locations).
“It is worth noting that there might be a temporary decrease in wind intensity as the center of Storm Éowyn passes overhead, likely in parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, before winds intensify rapidly once more. Wind speeds will gradually diminish later on Friday.”
Snowfall is also expected during Friday morning, leading to travel disruptions before transitioning to rainfall. The weather service mentioned that rain showers spreading northeastward will initially fall as snow, particularly on elevated terrains, before changing back to rain.
It further added: “Any snow accumulations in northern England and southern Scotland will be brief and mainly on hills, where 2-5cm may gather in locations above 100m elevation, and 5-10cm above 300m.
“Snowfall is likely to persist longer north of the Central Belt, with up to 15-25cm possible above 300m. Considering the strong accompanying winds, temporary blizzard conditions could occur in higher altitudes, with some drifting possible for a period, particularly more likely north of the Central Belt.”