Met Office issues severe weather warning in Gloucestershire with risk of disruption
A weather[1] warning has been issued for parts of Gloucestershire with the risk of severe gales and heavy showers. The Met Office yellow alert will be in place from 10am today (Sunday, December 31) until just before the stroke of midnight.
It comes after a weather warning for wind ended at 3am today. There could be gales or severe gales across the West Country and south Wales. There could be disruption to road, rail, air and ferry transport.[2]
Flood Warnings are in place along parts of the River Severn, from Tewkesbury down to just north of Gloucestershire. These Environment Agency[3] red alerts mean flooding is expected, act now, and river levels aren’t set to peak until tomorrow (Monday, January 1, 2024).
The warning zone does not cover all of Gloucestershire, coming up to Dursley and skirting along the Wales and England border at the Forest of Dean. All areas of the county are forecast heavy rain at times today.
What to Expect
- Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely
- It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves
- Probably some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
- Some short term loss of power and other services is possible
- Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely
The Met Office warning area for New Year’s Eve (Image: Met Office)
The Met Office[6] adds: “A blustery day for much of southern England and Wales, but with strongest west-northwesterly winds reserved for parts of southwest Wales, southwest England and English Channel coasts. Here wind gusts of 50-55 mph are likely quite widely, with potential for gusts of 65-75 mph for the most exposed coasts and hills.
“These strong gusts will also drive squally showers across the area, these bringing hail and the risk of of thunder. Winds will ease from west to east during the evening.”
The latest weather and travel will be in our live blog[7]
References
- ^ weather (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ road, rail, air and ferry transport. (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Environment Agency (www.gov.uk)
- ^ Flooding and M5 live as Gloucestershire faces downpours with risk of hail and thunder and UK snow risk into 2024 (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Flooding from the air: Images above Tewkesbury after Storm Gerrit hit (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office (www.metoffice.gov.uk)
- ^ live blog (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)