Storm Antoni, the first to be named by the Met Office this season, has hit the UK, with forecasters warning strong winds could pose a danger to life from possible flying debris.
The storm hit on Friday night and is expected to continue into Saturday with heavy rain and strong winds.
The Met Office issued two amber warnings for potentially damaging gusts of wind in some areas of south-west England and south-west Wales between 11am and 7pm.
There is a yellow warning for “unseasonably windy weather” in southern parts of the UK between 8am and 8pm; and one for unseasonably wet and windy conditions in Northern Ireland until 11am, which may cause some disruption.
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How do storms and hurricanes get their names?
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In Europe storms are named as a joint enterprise between the UK’s Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). The list is set in advance, runs in alphabetical order, and usually alternates between names associated with male and female gender.
According to the Met Office, the decision for a storm to be named is “based on a combination of both the impact the weather may have, and the likelihood of those impacts occurring. A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause an amber or red weather warning.”
The list of names is partially generated from suggestions sent in by the public – and the Met Office says it is happy for people to either email suggestions or submit them via social media.
Bad luck if your name begins with a Q, U, X, Y or Z though – you’ll never get a storm named after you. This is because names beginning with those letters are never used either in Europe or by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Martin Belam
The Met Office amber warnings said some roads and bridges were likely to close and there was “a good chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage”.
An amber warning means there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather and people should consider changing plans and taking action to protect themselves and their property. Yellow warnings mean it is likely that the weather will cause some low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places.
The Met Office chief meteorologist, Steve Willington, said the storm would bring “potentially disruptive” weather as it moved from west to east.
“Northern Ireland is likely to see some of the highest rainfall totals, with 40-60mm falling in some spots, but 20-30mm more widely.
“Away from the warning area many will still see a very wet day, especially in north Wales and north England.”
He said that the strongest winds would affect parts of south-west England and south-west Wales, with gusts reaching in excess of 60mph (95km/h) on exposed coasts and high ground, and up to 55mph inhland.
“These windy conditions will likely coincide with high tides which will present an additional challenge for coastal areas.”
Rod Dennis, of the RAC motor services company, said: “We expect Saturday to be the worst day on the roads of the summer so far, especially for anyone in the south-west of England – and that’s a lot of people as our research shows it’s the most popular part of the country for leisure trips by car this year.
“Conditions will be atrocious with a wholly unpleasant mix of very strong winds and locally intense rainfall. The best advice is to slow down significantly to stay safe and avoid exposed moorland and coastal routes until the storm passes.
“Drivers towing caravans and trailers need to be particularly careful in these conditions and those with boxes and bikes on the roof should double-check they’re secured properly. Drivers should also watch out for fallen trees and be prepared for the disruption they cause.”
The RAC estimates that about 4 million cars will be using the roads for leisure journeys across the weekend.
The weather has forced organisers of outdoor events to cancel their plans.
Eliot Walker, the organiser of the annual Dorset jazz festival, Stompin’ on the Quomps, said he was “disappointed” he had had to postpone this year’s event due to Storm Antoni. It is the first time the free festival on the quay in Christchurch has had to be cancelled in its 30-year history.
About 10,000 people had been expected to attend on Saturday. The decision was driven by concerns for the safety of traders and spectators although it is hoped the festival can be rearranged.
Walker said: “We’re really disappointed that the town can’t come together to enjoy a wonderful day listening to professional jazz and big bands by the side of the river on the picturesque quay.”
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