Yesterday Met Eireann named a deep area of low pressure, which is expected to impact the British Isles tomorrow (Monday 13th January) as Storm Brendan. This area of low pressure is unusually deep, with a central pressure of around 938mb expected to develop on Monday! This doesn’t necessarily mean that the winds will be unusually strong, to, as the core of the most severe winds may just miss the country and stay out to the Atlantic.
That being said, some pretty strong winds are expected, and it’s likely that some travel disruption will ensue during Monday.
Also of concern is the power of the waves, with wave heights simulated to be close to 30 feet, perhaps even 40 feet for some parts of Western Ireland and perhaps Western Scotland during Monday. Certainly not a day for any coastal activities. This following chart, shows forecast wind speeds for midday tomorrow. Whilst the most severe winds are likely to be just out to sea, they are likely to generate a very high amount of marine energy, therefore wave heights in excess of 30ft are likely on the western coast of Ireland tomorrow. (Chart courtesy of Wxcharts.eu).
The Met Office have yellow “be aware” warnings in force for Monday. They state that some delays could occur, “especially to high sided vehicles”. These warnings are in force for western Britain, primarily, as well as Eastern Scotland. It’s here where winds of over 80mph are possible during Monday, as early as the morning, and are likely to rattle on through the evening. If anything, winds could get even stronger for a time later on Monday in the very far North West of Ireland and Western Scotland. Here, power outages are very possible, as well as some structural damage.
Further east, although no weather warnings are in force, winds will also be very strong for England and Wales for a time during Monday day. Guts of between 50 and 60mph are likely, and some isolated travel disruption is possible.
For most areas winds should begin to ease on Monday night, however there’s another storm system raring to go for Tuesday. This time, more southern parts are likely to be affected. This includes central and southern England and Wales, where winds of over 60mph may occur. Strong winds could affect the England Channel, and the evening rush hour on Tuesday could be quite nasty. As a result, the Met Office have issued a yellow wind warning for the whole of England and Wales for Tuesday.Heavy rain will also be an issue, so be aware of the risk of standing water.