STORM Isha has sparked a “danger to life” amber warning as the Met Office warns Britain will be lashed by 70km/h winds and heavy rain.
Britons have been warned that the country will be hit by “very strong winds” which could cause serious travel disruption.
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Frozen flooded roads near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
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A road worker closes the snow gates near Ardgay, Scotland, as arctic conditions are expected to give way to stormsCredit: Getty
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The Met Office has issued a series of yellow and amber warningsCredit: MET
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The British are ready for 50-60 mph gusts
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the storm is likely to cause injury and danger to life, particularly in coastal areas.
There could also be power outages and serious damage to buildings in the country, forecasters warn.
The amber warning is in effect from 6pm on Sunday until 9am on Monday.
Periods of heavy rain join forces with strong winds taking center stage in Wales.
Forecasters are predicting a heavy downpour to hit the hills – where the rain is expected to fall heavily.
Snowdonia will see significant amounts of rainfall between 20-50mm – with possible peaks reaching up to 100mm in coastal areas.
A yellow warning for snow and ice remains in place in Scotland where wintry showers threaten to disrupt travel.
Northern Scotland and the Northern Isles are under extended warnings until at least today.
An amber cold warning issued by the UK’s Health Safety Agency will remain in place until midday on Saturday.
Experts fear that this could affect the health and social sector.
Bureau of Meteorology deputy chief meteorologist David Hayter said: “Conditions will remain cold on Friday but a change in weather patterns is on the way, bringing milder air to the UK over the weekend.
“This change will initially be relatively benign in terms of weather impacts, with a dry Friday and early Saturday for much of the south of the UK.
“The Atlantic influence will then bring some wet and windy weather, with a deep area of low pressure approaching from the west on Sunday.”
Flights at Sumburgh Airport, Shetland, have been canceled due to hazardous conditions this morning.
A spokesman confirmed that flights departing from Sumburgh and arriving from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness via Kirkwall were grounded.
They said: “Following our previous update, all flights are now canceled until the end of the day.
“The airport and terminal building will close at 2:30 p.m. Customers are advised to contact their airlines for information on tomorrow’s flights.”
Intense gusts of wind also caused serious disruption among train passengers.
The South West Railway has been forced to introduce speed restrictions on its journeys until at least Monday.
The company warned passengers to expect “changes and cancellations at short notice” over the weekend.
Despite strong storm surges, warmer temperatures are expected this weekend.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “We could see places reaching highs of 12C-13C, but we have to factor in high winds, rain, cloud, so it won’t feel as warm as it might suggest.
“Temperatures will be low, increasing this weekend and staying low for most of next week.
“There may be colder spells, but I think any frost is likely to be isolated if we see it at all.
“There could be some fog overnight, particularly where we see drier and calmer weather to the south-east.”
Although Friday is expected to be windier with more cloud in places, lows of -10C will again be likely in some northern areas.
Storm Isha marks the earliest point when the UK reached the letter “I” in the storm alphabet.
The only other storm named with the letter “I” was Storm Imogen which hit in February 2016 – with strong winds towards south Wales and southern England.
Forecasters have been naming them since 2015 – with the furthest letter being “K” with Storm Katie in 2016.
The UK has been hit by several storms this wine season alone – many of which caused serious damage and travel disruption.
Last year, Britain was hit by strong winds across much of the country caused by Storm Pia.
Soon after, Storm Debi triggered life-threatening warnings – with winds of 80km/h and flooding.
As we welcomed 2024, Storm Henk brought torrential downpours and incredibly powerful storm surges across the country.
PREVIOUS STORM NAMES
Storms are named when they are considered to have the potential to cause “moderate
Strong winds, gusts of rain and snow are factors taken into account when naming a storm.
Forecasters call storms a way of communicating the risk of severe weather.
- Agnes (September 2023)
- Babet (October 2023)
- Ciaran (November 2023)
- Debut (December 2023)
- Elin (December 2023)
- Fergus (December 2023)
- Gerrit (January 2024)
- Henk (January 2024)
- Isha (January 2024)
It comes as police launched an investigation after a newborn baby girl was found in a shopping bag dumped on the street in freezing temperatures.
A dog walker made the horrific discovery in Newham, East London, last night.
All schools in Shetland and Orkney were closed on Thursday due to wintry conditions.
In Aberdeenshire, around 130 schools have closed, while others have delayed opening.
Great Britain had its coldest night of winter so far from Tuesday to Wednesday, when Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands experienced temperatures of -14C.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM A STORM
Before Storm Isha packs 50km/h and heavy rain, Britons need to protect their homes to avoid serious damage.
Insurers Storm Hub have revealed top tips on how to protect your home in sub-zero temperatures.
- Put away garden furniture and trampolines
- Secure loose objects such as ladders or other objects that could be blown into windows
- Make sure the fences are secure
- Park vehicles in the garage or move away from fences/walls/trees
- Have a flood plan
- Check your insurance coverage
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Snow covered houses in Horwich, Greater Manchester, Credit: Story Picture Agency
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A woman bravely dives into the frozen Redbrook Lake on Marsden Moor near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire Credit: Stella Pictures
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A canal near Chelmsford in Essex has frozen over
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The fountains in Trafalgar Square in central London are frozen over as temperatures remain coldCredit: LNP
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A horse wraps up in a coat to face a frosty morning of -7C, Odstock, Salisbury, WiltsCredit: Solent
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The Met Office has issued further ice weather warnings with lows of -6cCredit: LNP
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