Having battered the east coast of Britain earlier this month, even stronger winds are forecast to hit the south west coast on Monday Photo: OWEN HUMPHREYS/PA
- Public must not clog up 999 lines with non-emergencies during the impending 'St Jude's' storm, say police, as forecasters predict hurricane-force winds of 80mph or more
The Telegraph
By David Barrett
26 October 2013
Police have urged people to keep emergency lines open during hurricane-force winds by only dialling 999 to report genuine emergencies.
Heavy rain is due to arrive in southern Britain within 24 hours as a prelude to one of the most powerful storms to hit the country in decades.
The Metropolitan Police said callers should refrain from using 999 unless they required an immediate response, and all other calls should go to the ‘101’ non-emergency number.
A spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police Service is reminding Londoners to dial 101 when contacting police when it’s not an emergency with expected increases in demand brought about by high winds in the next few days.
“Calling 999 when it is not an emergency can reduce our effectiveness at dealing with genuine emergencies.”
As hurricane-strength winds sweep in from the Atlantic, parts of England and Wales can expect nearly two inches of rain in a six hour period - enough to cause some localised flooding.
Forecasters say the exact arrival time and course of the winds remains uncertain. But predictions of the main area to be hit remain largely unchanged, with the storm expected to affect large swatches of England in a band south of mid-Wales to the Wash.
The peak of the storm is currently predicted to be between 3am and 6am on Monday, with winds of up to 70mph in the affected area and gusts of up to 80mph battering the south coast and exposed areas.
The Met Office has put the storm zone on amber alert, meaning residents should "be prepared" for potential disruption, including power cuts and fallen trees.
It has been named the St Jude Storm after the patron saint of lost causes whose feast date is on Monday.
Forecasters have compared the wild weather to the Great Storm of 1987.
“We expect strong winds, possibly up to 70mph in some inland areas and 80mph on the coast,” said Eleanor Crompton, a Met Office forecaster.
“The wind is our greatest concern but in terms of rain it looks as if the highest total throughout the event may be around 70mm [two and a half inches] in isolated locations.
“There is a risk of some parts getting 50mm [two inches] in a six hour period.”
People living in the affected parts of England and Wales have been advised to prepare for the high winds by lashing down garden furniture and other loose outdoor items.
Ferry services have been cancelled on Sunday and Monday between Plymouth and Roscoff as well as Penzance and the Isles of Scilly.
Brittany Ferries, which runs the Plymouth-Roscoff route, said on its website: "We are in the process of contacting all passengers booked on these sailings. We apologise for the inconvenience the cancellation of these services will cause."
The weather is also expected to cause serious problems for commuters at the start of the working week.
Darron Burness, head of the AA's flood rescue team, said: "If the predicted storm strikes, the timing couldn't really be worse, potentially causing significant travel disruption on Monday morning, which is one of the busiest times on the roads.
"Strong wind and torrential rain is an unpredictable and hazardous combination, which can be quite overwhelming when you're driving.
"There's likely to be tree and other debris on the roads as well potential flooding, so it's very important to keep your speed down and drive with great care, particularly on country roads early on Monday morning when it's still dark."
The storm is expected to last until late on Monday evening.
The weather system has been caused by an area of extremely low pressure and fuelled by the remnants of two storms from the North American continent.
Nick Prebble, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: “There will still be some uncertainty about the nature of storm over the next 24 to 36 hours.
“There are still some question marks over what the strongest gusts will be.
“Heavy rain will precede the strongest winds and I wouldn’t be surprised if it caused localised flooding, particularly as some parts will have saturated ground from showers today. The rain will ease as the winds come in.”
It came as veteran weatherman Michael Fish warned people to “batten down the hatches” and keep checking the forecasts as a powerful storm heads for British shores.
The 69 year-old forecaster, who famously failed to predict the Great Storm of 1987, said it is too early to calculate exactly what form the impending gale would take.
But he advised people to keep checking the weather forecasts and alerts regularly as “things can change very fast, like they did in 1987”.
original article found here
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