Weather warnings as new storm approaches Ireland
Areas along the Shannon and Lee rivers are preparing for more flooding with emergency co-ordination groups being convened by local authorities in Clare, Limerick and Westmeath.
Nine severe flood warnings remain in place for England and Wales, with the majority of those focused on York, which was inundated on Boxing Day.
“Rainfall accumulations through this period are expected to be widely 20-40 mm, with 60 mm or more over some higher ground”. Most of Wales, South West England, West Midlands and Northern Ireland will dry out.
Up to 70 millimetres of rain and winds of up to 120 kilometres an hour are expected in the South, West and North West.
Meanwhile Belfast Coast Guard have warned people about the dangers posed by the extreme weather conditions of Storm Frank in coastal areas.
James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said despite the current mild conditions a bitter Arctic blast is about to compound the misery. A swathe of very strong winds are expected to develop on its forward side, and affect many northwestern areas.
“This is very likely to cause impacts from Dumfries & Galloway and the western parts of the Scottish Borders northwards through west central Scotland, Tayside to the edge of Southern Aberdeenshire”.
The warning has been updated to bring forward the start and end times.
The showers may still be dampening Scotland, as well as eastern and northern England for New Year’s Eve festivities Thursday evening.
Brutal gales and torrential rain will be driven by a powerful weather bomb due to pummel Britain over the next two days.
An American term, a weather bomb describes a dramatic plunge in sea level pressure – 24mb in 24 hours – last seen in the United Kingdom in December 2014.
Before Christmas Séamus Walsh, Head of Climatology and Observations, Met Éireann, warned that adaptation and mitigation strategies need to be put in place across the island to deal with the effects of climate change.
“After any one of these events it’s right to sit down and look at what you’ve spent, what you’ve built, look at what you’re planning to spend, look at what you’re planning to build and work out is it in the right places?”