Search icon

News

20th Feb 2022

Amber warning issued for incoming Storm Franklin

Kieran Galpin

It’s not over yet

Just as the UK sees a reprieve from the onslaught of Storm Eunice, the Met Office has released amber warnings for the incoming Storm Franklin.

The new Storm will begin in the early hours of Monday morning, prompting the Met Office to release amber warnings for much of the UK and the Republic of Ireland’s west coast.

“Gale force westerly winds with severe and damaging gusts” can be expected, which will be “combined with very high seas.” Consequently, rain on February 20 and the following day is expected.

This comes just days after Storm Eunice battered the UK and sadly took at least 16 lives alongside untold destruction. Both the O2 arena in London and a church spire in Somerset were among landmarks captured battered and bruised.

The South West is said to have experienced the most widespread power cut in history, suggests Western Power Distribution.

The company said power had been restored to around 461,000 homes, but there are still 60,000 homes without power.

Operations director Graham Halladay said: “Storm Eunice has brought some of the worst conditions we have ever seen – it is truly unprecedented.

“But I would like to reassure customers that we are working round the clock to get the lights back on as quickly as we can safely do so.”

Winds were said to have reached new highs during the climax of the Storm. A huge wind gust was reported at The Needles on the Isle of Wight, where winds reached a shocking 122mph. While Eunice certainly gained momentum, the strongest ever gust was recorded in 1986 in Scotland, where winds reached 173mph.

elated links: