3 hours Ago By [email protected] (Cathy Owen)
A Met Office weather warning has been upgraded after forecasters confirmed that Storm Ashley is set to hit the UK on Sunday. A deep area of low pressure which will impact the Republic of Ireland and parts of the UK on Sunday and Monday has been named by Met Éireann – the Irish weather service. The area of low pressure will track north eastwards reaching the UK early on Sunday morning, bringing strong winds and rain here.
Yellow warnings for wind had already been in place for parts of north Wales and other areas in the UK from 3am on Sunday until midday on Monday. The area of Wales affected by the warning has been extended and now covers Ceredigion ; Conwy ; Gwynedd ; Isle of Anglesey and Pembrokeshire . READ MORE: First named storm of the season set to batter Wales as Met Office issues warning READ MORE: Patients moved after heavy rain causes flooding at Wales' biggest hospital An amber warning has also been issued for parts of north western Scotland with fears there could be gusts reaching 80mph.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tony Wisson said: “Storm Ashley will bring strong winds for most of the UK on Sunday before it clears on Monday, with a chance of some disruption across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northwest England and West Wales. “A period of especially strong winds are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening in western Scotland, where gusts could potentially reach 70-80mph in exposed areas, and more generally 50-60mph in other parts of the warning area. These strong winds in conjunction with high spring tides, may cause some disruption.
It is important that people stay up to date with the latest forecast and our warning s.” For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter The warnings that are in place on Sunday: Head of transport resilience at Transport Scotland, Ashleigh Robson, said: “Storm Ashley is set to bring widespread disruption for travel on Sunday and into Monday. Passengers should certainly check with their operator, and with some families off enjoying the October school holidays, we would advise them to play close attention to any cross-border travel updates too.
“The Multi Agency Team will be in position to take decisions, oversee the network, and advise the public and update Ministers over the weekend as the storm sweeps into parts of Scotland. The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs and we would urge drivers to take note of the conditions, debris on the roads and trees falling onto some roads is a strong possibility. The forecasted rain will make visibility difficult when driving and could result in some localised flooding.
“Disruption on ferry services is very likely, rail services and flights may also be impacted. Please check with you transport operator for the latest information. The decision to cancel services is never taken lightly, but safety of passengers has to be the priority.
Please plan ahead." Looking further ahead, the Met Office says that winds will ease as Storm Ashley pulls away to the east on Monday leaving a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers for many. Next week remains unsettled for many with some longer spells of rain in places.
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