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Storm Bert is the latest storm set to sweep across the UK this weekend, following on from Storm Ashley earlier this year. The new storm has been named by the Met Office due to a deep area of low pressure arriving, impacting “large parts” of the UK on Saturday (November 23) and Sunday (November 24). It will also bring heavy rain and snow, together with strong winds to large swathes of the country, the forecasters explained.
Due to this, a number of weather warnings have been issued, including an amber alert in Scotland. #StormBert has been named and is forecast to bring heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK through the weekend #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.
com/Yh9LyEAIBo — Met Office (@metoffice) November 21, 2024 Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said: “Storm Bert marks a shift to much milder air and wintry hazards will gradually diminish through the weekend, but heavy snowfall is expected across parts of northern England and Scotland for a time on Saturday, especially over higher ground, and warnings are in place. “Heavy rain through Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern and western parts of the UK, will also bring impacts for some with a number of warnings in place. We expect 50-75 mm of rainfall quite widely within the warning areas, but in excess of 100 mm is possible over high ground in parts of Wales and southwest England.
“In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend and periods of strong winds are likely to exacerbate impacts and bring the potential for travel disruption, as well as flooding for some.” Make sure you're prepared for Storm Bert this weekend (Image: Danny Lawson/PA) Why is it called Storm Bert? In August, the Met Office revealed Ashley, Bert and Conall will be the first three named storms this season. Storms are given names to “help communicate the risks of severe weather”.
James, Lewis and Mavis are the latest Met Office contributions to the storm name list, in partnership with Met Éireann and KNMI. These include submissions from the public and names of significant people from the forecaster's 170-year history. The Met Office adds: “Storms will get named by the group when they’re deemed to have the potential to cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.
How to drive safely in snow and ice Recommended reading: Met Office forecasts storm to bring snow, rain and 70mph winds this weekend Met Office reveals storm names for 2024/25 - Ashley, Bert, Wren see full list Can you walk dogs in the snow? 8 ways to keep your pet safe on winter walks “Wind is the primary consideration for naming a storm, but additional impacts from rain or snow will also be considered in the naming process.” The Met Office and partners first started naming storms in 2015. The weather experts continued: “The list runs from early September to late August the following year to coincide with the start of autumn and the end of summer, when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for named storms increase.
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