Portsmouth weather: People told to batten down hatches as 'multi-hazard event' to hit this weekend
People are being told to batten down the hatches and prepare for a “multi-hazard event” as Storm Bert prepares to hit this weekend, the Met Office said.
A yellow weather warning for the south - including Portsmouth and Hampshire - has been issued for wind and rain on Saturday and Sunday. The storm is due to hit from 6am on Saturday with the warning in place until Sunday at midnight.
Jason Kelly, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Storm Bert starts to arrive overnight on Friday and into Saturday, initially over Northern Ireland. As we go through the first part of Saturday morning, it will start to show its hand across Scotland, north Wales and northern England, with the potential for some heavy snowfall, especially over higher ground. Warnings are in place, including an amber warning for snow and ice for parts of Scotland.”
“Heavy rainfall will affect much of the UK this weekend. Rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning across southwest and southern England, becoming particularly heavy and persistent overnight and into Sunday.
“Accumulations of 50-75 mm are expected to fall fairly widely during this time. There is a chance that some places over Dartmoor for example, could see 100-150 mm. In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend may bring flooding for some.”
Strong southerly winds will accompany the heavy rain, and warnings are in place in both the south and north. Gusts could peak at 50-60 mph in many parts of the warning areas, and could even reach in excess of 70 mph along some exposed coasts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland.
Jason added: “Storm Bert is what we call a ‘multi-hazard event’, bringing snow, rain and wind to the UK for the majority of the weekend. Multiple National Severe Weather Warnings are in place and will be added to and amended over the weekend. It’s possible this may be at short notice, so it is important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast.”
Mark Nash, National Network Manager at National Highways, said: “With the arrival of Storm Bert it is important to plan ahead for your journey, and if weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care.
“A section of our website provides practical advice for travelling in storms, high winds and gales. It’s also a good idea for people to remember TRIP – Top-up your vehicle; Rest every two hours, Inspect tyres and lights and Prepare for the journey ahead.”