Storm Kathleen - live: Over 100 flood alerts in place as heavy gusts and rain leave thousands without power
While blustery conditions batter parts of the country, the east of the UK will bathe in ‘unseasonably warm air’
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Thousands of homes remain without power as Storm Kathleen continues to tear across the country with heavy rain and winds of up to 70mph.
The Environment Agency has issued 119 flood alerts and 19 flood warning across England and Wales as further rain is expected to fall overnight in parts of Wales and the south west of England this evening.
Around 12,000 customers remained without electricity in Ireland on Saturday evening after Storm Kathleen swept across the island, with many remaining without access to electricity overnight.
A spokesman for ESB Networks said: “ESB Networks crews will continue to work late into the evening with a view to restoring supply to the vast majority of impacted customers by tonight.
“However, there will be some customers without power overnight.”
Strong winds are expected to persist tomorrow with a further yellow warning for wind has been issued for north-west Scotland on Sunday between 9am and 3pm.
The high winds also caused travel disruption, about 70 flights departing and arriving at UK airports before midday on Saturday were cancelled
Despite stormy weather, Saturday has provisionally become the hottest day of the year so far with 20.9C recorded, the Met Office said.
Storm to tear into UK with 70mph winds and snow
Storm Kathleen will barrel into the UK this weekend with dangerous 70mph gusts, torrential downpours and snow in some areas:
Storm Kathleen to tear into UK with 70mph winds and snow
The storm is expected to bring gusts of up to 60mph-70mph
The parts of UK that will be battered by Storm Kathleen
Mapped: Which parts of UK will be battered by Storm Kathleen?
The west coast of England and Scotland can expect to see gusts of up to 70mph
Greenhouse gases hit new highs last year
Levels of criticial heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached historic highs last year, growing at near-record fast paces, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Carbon dioxide, the most important and abundant of the greenhouse gases caused by humans, rose by the third-highest total in 65 years of record-keeping, the experts announced.
Scientists are also worried about the rapid rise in atmospheric levels of methane, a shorter-lived but more potent heat-trapping gas. Both jumped 5.5% over the past decade.
The 2.8 parts-per-million increase in carbon dioxide airborne levels from January to December was not as high as the jumps were in 2014 and 2015, but they were larger than every other year since 1959, when precise records started.
Carbon dioxide’s average level for last year was 419.3 parts per million, up 50% on pre-industrial times.
Storm fast approaching
High winds will drag down effect of warm weather
The strong winds tomorrow will reduce the impact of the high temperatures, forecasters say.
“Parts of western Europe will see temperatures around 10°C above average and some of this exceptionally warm air for early April will surge northwards thanks to #StormKathleen. However, when you factor in the strong winds, it will feel several degrees colder than these temperatures suggest,” the Met Office said.
UK set to have hottest day of year so far – as Storm Kathleen tears towards Britain with danger to life winds
The UK is expected to record its hottest day of the year so far – as storms batter parts of the country with heavy rain and winds that pose a risk to life.
The Met Office said temperatures on Saturday could reach up to 22C in East Anglia, but issued a yellow warning elsewhere for gusts of up to 70mph.
Road, rail, air and ferry travel could all be disrupted as Storm Kathleen rolls in, forecasters said.
UK set to have hottest day of year so far – as Storm Kathleen winds threaten life
Met Office warns of travel disruption and power cuts across swathes of country
Hottest day of the year so far for East Anglia on Saturday
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said the hottest day of the year so far could arrive in East Anglia on Saturday.
He told the PA news agency: “Away from that warning area on Saturday, we could get up to 22C in isolated spots of East Anglia which would make it the hottest day of the year so far in that area.”
“One of the residual effects from Storm Kathleen is helping to draw up that warmer air as well.
“It’s not unusual for these storm systems to bring warmer air with them.”
The highest temperature of the year so far was 19.9C, recorded at the end of January at Achfary in north-west Scotland.
Mr Dixon added: “The outlook for Sunday for much of the UK is for showery conditions to continue particularly in northern and western areas again.”
“It will generally feel a touch drier the further south-east you go through the day on Sunday as Kathleen gradually moves away northwards.”
He added that the start of next week would see unsettled weather conditions with “rain continuing for many”.
UK to record hottest day of year as Storm Kathleen batters west with 70mph winds
The UK is expected to record its hottest day of the year so far on Saturday, as Storm Kathleen batters the west of the country with heavy rain and winds of up to 70mph.
The Met Office said temperatures could reach up to 22C in East Anglia as unseasonably warm air is drawn across parts of the UK during sunny spells.
The forecaster has issued a yellow weather warning for wind in western areas of the UK, including Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and Wales, and the North West and South West of England from 8am to 10pm on Saturday.
UK to record hottest day of year as Storm Kathleen batters west with 70mph winds
The Met Office said temperatures could reach up to 22C in parts of East Anglia.
Strong winds and high temps- what’s going on with this weekend’s weather?
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