Storm Ashley is set to hit the UK with strong winds and heavy rainfall on Sunday for multiple areas across the country.
Two weather weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office due to Storm Ashley.
An amber weather warning, meaning power cuts, damage to buildings and cancellations to public transport are probable in the west and northwest of Scotland, is in place from 9am to 11.59pm on Sunday.
The Met Office has issued a wider a yellow weather warning for wind, with severe gales, power cuts and travel disruptions expected during the same time period.
While the weather warning covers Scotland, Northern Ireland, northwest England and northwest Wales, most parts of the UK are set to experience windy weather on Sunday.
The winds will develop on Sunday morning, with gusts of 50-60mph expected in some inland areas across Northern Ireland and western Scotland, while gusts of 60-70mph are set to hit exposed coasts and hills.
Strong gusts of up to 70-80mph are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening in exposed areas of western Scotland.
The Met Office has warned that flying debris, large waves and beach material thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties from Storm Ashley may cause injuries and pose a “danger to life”.
The storm, which is the first named storm of the 2024/25 season, is also set to disrupt road, rail, air and ferry services, as well as cause damage to buildings.
“There will be disruption and damage due to fallen trees, loose objects being blown about and power outages due to damage to power lines,” said Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society.
“Storm Ashley will also bring persistent rain to all parts of the UK and Ireland which could lead to some localised flooding where the ground is already saturated.”
How are storms named in the UK?
Storms in the UK are named when they have the potential to spark amber or red warnings, including a risk to life, power cuts, damage to property, disruption to travel and energy supplies.
The UK Met Office names storms in collaboration with the Republic of Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Netherlands’ KNMI.
“Naming of storms help to communicate high impact weather so local authorities and the public can take action and keep themselves, their property and businesses safe,” Ms Bentley told i.
While the main factor behind the naming of a storm is the impact its winds will cause, rain and snow are also taken into account.
The Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI compile a list of names for storms suggested by members of the public. They then name storms using that list in alphabetical order.
Ashley is the first name on the alphabetical list for the 2024/25 season, which spans from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025. The next storm would be named Bert, followed by Conall.
Met Éireann named Storm Ashley as it will first be impacting the Republic of Ireland, according to the Met Office.
The Met Office has urged those in affected areas to check for loose items around their properties to prevent them from being blown away by strong winds and plan their travel journeys ahead of time, checking for delays and road closures.
Ashleigh Robson, Transport Scotland’s head of transport resilience, 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,” Ms Robson added.
“The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs [heavy goods vehicles] 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.”
Ms Bentley told i that “Storm Ashley will develop rapidly in the Atlantic on Saturday” through the process of “explosive cyclogenesis”, which is when the central pressure of a storm drops by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.
This allows the storm system, along with strong winds, to develop rapidly in a short period of time.
While Storm Ashley is expected to clear to the north of the UK on Monday, strong winds may cause disruption throughout the day.
