The weather warning for wind on New Year’s Day has been updated and is now in place over a larger part of north Wales. The Met Office is warning that a period of “strong winds during Wednesday may lead to some disruption”.
The reason for the upgrade is because the start time has been brought forward and the warning area “extended across more of north Wales, the North Midlands, and covering the rest of eastern England”. They say it is due to “squally winds associated with the southward moving cold front”, adding: “Winds easing from the north through Wednesday and strongest winds clearing Kent by mid afternoon.”
The yellow wind warning for Wales is in place from 12.15am on Wednesday until 3pm and says: “An area of low pressure is expected to track across England and Wales with strong southwesterly winds on its southern flank. 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.”
They added: “Inland gusts will typically be in the 40-50mph range but a brief spell of 60mph gusts is possible in association with the passage of an active, squally cold front during the afternoon.” Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news. You will receive updates from us daily.
The weather warnings are as follows:
(Image: Met Office)
There is also a 24-hour warning for rain that starts at 6pm on New Year’s Eve and ends at 6pm on New Year’s Day. The areas covered by this warning in Wales are Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, and Wrexham.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “Wednesday’s depression looks increasingly likely to be a flat feature with rain the main hazard. A band of persistent and at times heavy rain will linger across Wales and northwest England through Tuesday night and Wednesday morning before clearing southeast during Wednesday afternoon. This rain will be accompanied by strong gusty winds. There is still some uncertainty in the forecast at present and with such varied and potentially fast-moving weather conditions it is important for people to keep up to date with the very latest details.
“The forecast uncertainty comes from the positioning of the jet stream – a ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere which is often the driving force behind our weather – and how it interacts with a pulse of warm air emerging from the Azores region on Tuesday. This interaction will have a significant impact on the development of the depression we expect to see on Wednesday but until that happens some uncertainty in the forecast will remain. What we do expect though is for heavy and persistent rain to be the main area of concern. Warnings may evolve over the coming days as confidence increases.”
By Thursday it is likely that the whole of the UK will experience a change to colder conditions with this persisting into the weekend. Wintry showers are expected to affect the far north and east at times but away from these sunshine will be much more widespread than in recent days. Overnight temperatures will widely fall below freezing, perhaps reaching minus double digits in areas of Scotland already covered in snow.
The advice from the Met Office is to prepare to protect your property and people from injury. Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them. Items include bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.
Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, and amending your travel plans if necessary. People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance so consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
If you are on the coast stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves. Even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs and know your route and keep dogs on a lead. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly. When a weather warning is issued the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.