Met Office says stronger gusts more likely in Storm Kathleen update
The Met Office warned of injuries and danger to life from large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts and coastal roads.
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Your support makes all the difference.The Met Office has warned that stronger gusts are more likely during Storm Kathleen in an update to its weather warning.
The forecaster issued a yellow weather warning for wind in western areas of the UK, including Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and Wales, and the north-west and south-west of England from 8am to 10pm on Saturday.
On Friday the Met Office said in its update: “Stronger gusts are now expected across some parts of the warning area, with likelihood also increased.”
It warned of injuries and danger to life from “large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties”, adding “road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible”.
There could also be power cuts and mobile phone coverage could be affected.
Wet and windy conditions are forecast to arrive on Friday, heading into Saturday, as Storm Kathleen rolls in.
Southerly winds are expected to gust quite widely to 50-60mph on Saturday, while some exposed spots, particularly in Northern Ireland, will see gusts to 70mph with large waves also likely.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “Winds pick up further through Friday evening, overnight into Saturday, where as we start Saturday morning we’ll see widely across the country gusts of 30-40mph.
“In western parts of the UK, inland, we could see gusts of 40 to 50mph and then around the western coast of the UK we could see gusts of 60-70mph.”
Despite the rain, there will be some warm spells of sunshine in south-eastern parts of England, with temperatures reaching up to 18C.
A yellow warning for snow had been in place on Friday in Scotland from the early hours through to 9am covering central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar and Strathclyde.
Storm Kathleen, named by the Irish meteorological service Met Eireann, is the 11th named storm in eight months.
It is only the second time in a UK storm season that the letter K has been reached in the alphabet.