The Met Office has updated its warning zone for strong winds set to batter England later this week. The forecaster had issued a 21-hour Yellow warning for wind between 9am on Wednesday, January 1, and 6am on Thursday, January 2.
The warning zone encompassed all of England and Wales. However in a new update issued late on Monday morning, December 30, the warning zone has been halved in size and the time reduced.
The Met Office has now issued the Yellow wind alert to start at 7am on Wednesday and finish at 11.59pm that same day. The warning zone now encompasses only half of England – all of the country up to the West Midlands area – but it does not extend above this.
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The wind alert still covers a large part of Wales save for the northern part of the nation. In the West Midlands, the yellow warning zone misses Birmingham however areas just south of the city, such as Solihull, and parts of the Black Country, such as Kingswinford and Stourbridge, will still be affected.
Parts of Shropshire, such as Bridgnorth, will still face a battering. The Met Office has also said that inland areas now can expect to face gusts of between 40mph to 50mph – less than the originally forecasted 50mph to 60mph range – but there could be a “brief spell” of 60mph gusts.
The Met Office has warned that there is a small ‘danger to life’ from the possibility of ‘flying debris caused by strong winds. In an update, the Met Office said: “An area of low pressure is expected to track across England and Wales, with strong south westerly winds on its southern flank.
The new Met Office warning zone for strong winds
(Image: Met Office)
“The strongest winds are expected across coastal regions in the west and south of the warning area, where gusts of 65-75 mph are possible. Inland gusts will typically be in the 40-50 mph range, but a brief spell of 60 mph gusts is possible in association with the passage of an active, squally cold front during the afternoon.”