Storm Claudia Brings Flooding, Travel Disruption too UK; Colder Temperatures Expected
Severe flooding triggered by Storm Claudia has led to a major incident declaration in parts of the UK, with ongoing disruption to travel and power outages reported across Ireland and England. Emergency services are responding to widespread impacts from the storm,which brought heavy rainfall and strong winds throughout Friday.
The storm’s effects are now shifting, with a transition to colder conditions expected across the UK. While Northern Ireland and Scotland are forecast to experience drier, brighter weather with sunny spells, a meaningful drop in temperatures is anticipated as Arctic air moves in. The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather warning for parts of the Midlands and northern england, effective from Monday through Saturday.
Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick explained the change, stating, “Overnight [on] Saturday and throughout the course of Sunday, we will start to see winds changing to be a bit more northerly, introducing a lot of Arctic air… Clouds will clear throughout the course of the day so it will allow for some sunshine, but with it, it’s going to be turning much colder. I think people are really going to notice a chill into Sunday and feeling cold in many areas.” She added, “Things are starting to turn less stormy, a bit brighter, but it’s going to be feeling a lot colder and, as we head into next week, we’ll see a continuation of that.”
Currently, a yellow-level rain warning remains in place for counties Armagh and Down in Northern Ireland until noon on Saturday, posing a risk of flooding and hazardous travel. Power outages have been reported in Ireland, impacting businesses and homes. Earlier, status orange and yellow rain warnings were in effect for multiple counties in the Republic of Ireland, including Dublin, Wexford, and Wicklow.
Travel has been considerably affected. National Rail has advised passengers to check their journeys before travelling, and roadside assistance companies reported a high volume of callouts on Friday.Rail replacement services were also impacted by the storm.
