How Hurricane Kirk will affect UK weather – everything we know about latest storm chaos

Forecasters person issued a informing arsenic Hurricane Kirk could dampen the UK with harsh upwind conditions this week. Here is everything we cognize astir the tempest truthful far

A hurricane which has travelled from the Atlantic is acceptable to origin chaos crossed the UK - bringing a hazard of fierce winds and imaginable flooding.

The class 4 storm, labelled Hurricane Kirk, is expected to walk done the state this week and peculiarly spark problems successful the south. Although the harsh tempest generated winds of up to 145mph, it has go somewhat much tame arsenic it moved crossed the North Atlantic Ocean.

However, the UK is inactive expected to beryllium deed by disastrous conditions, with Brits issuing aggregate weather warnings implicit question disruption. According to weather maps, Kirk volition origin the hazard of flooding crossed the bottommost portion of the country. It comes arsenic forecasters issued an alert and said the UK could look “an unsettled period” arsenic the tempest delivers “disruptive weather”.

Meanwhile, SkyNews meteorologist Christopher England said: "The existent way and strength is inactive uncertain, but caller models suggest Kirk volition tally into bluish France, bringing dense rainfall and beardown damaging winds, possibly arsenic acold southbound arsenic bluish Spain. There remains astir a 15% accidental of 50mm (2in) oregon truthful of rainfall implicit the southeast of England, and a little accidental of doubly that, but this is each taxable to change."

Deputy Chief Meteorologist astatine the Met Office Chris Bulmer explained however the low-pressure weather system could bring "strong winds" to the UK aboriginal this week. He said: "Kirk implicit the North Atlantic volition suffer its presumption arsenic a hurricane aboriginal [this] week earlier being swept towards northwest Europe. The resulting low-pressure strategy volition inactive person the imaginable to bring disruptive rainfall and winds to immoderate areas, including parts of the UK.”

He added: “Across the UK, parts of England and Wales look to person the top hazard of dense rainfall and beardown winds during Wednesday and Thursday.” As the tempest approaches, the Met Office volition support the request for upwind warnings “under review” until a clearer way of Hurricane Kirk’s question tin beryllium established. In England, determination are presently 4 flood warnings successful spot and a further 24 flood alerts, meaning flooding remains possible.

The flood warnings successful effect span crossed the southbound and southbound eastbound of the country, besides the areas astir apt to look the brunt of Hurricane Kirk. Flooding crossed the UK successful caller weeks has already caused terrible question disruption and, successful immoderate cases, wholly chopped entree to smaller towns and villages crossed the country.

The Met Office has besides issued a yellowish thunderstorm informing from 4pm to 11.59pm connected Monday crossed overmuch of South Wales, South West England, and parts of confederate England. The upwind work besides said determination was a “good chance” that driving conditions volition beryllium affected by spray, lasting h2o oregon hail, adding that delays to bid services are possible.

It added that flooding of a fewer homes and businesses was besides possible, with harm to buildings and structures from lightning strikes, hail oregon gusty winds astir apt adjacent to coasts. Thunderstorms are astir apt for south-facing coastal districts, and hail and immoderate beardown gusts of upwind could travel the heaviest showers and thunderstorms.

Some places volition spot 20-30mm of rainfall wrong 2 to 3 hours, with a tiny accidental that a fewer places could person 40mm, the Met Office said. Areas of dense showers and thunderstorms volition determination northwards crossed confederate parts of England and Wales connected Monday and wide northwards overnight.