Could Storm Gladys hit the UK? What weather warnings are in place and which areas will be affected?

  • Weather
A property surrounded by floodwater after the River Severn burst its banks at Bewdley in Worcestershire. The Environment Agency has urged communities in parts of the West Midlands and the north of England, especially those along River Severn, to be prepared for significant flooding until Wednesday following high rainfall from Storm Franklin. Picture date: Tuesday February 22, 2022.
A property surrounded by floodwater after the River Severn burst its banks at Bewdley in Worcestershire. Credit: PA

Strong winds and heavy snow are set to strike parts of the UK already already facing flooding and damage from Storm Franklin and Storm Eunice.

While the yellow warning is not a named storm, despite predictions Storm Gladys would make it a record fourth storm in just over a week, the weather front will bring heavy snow, along with very gusty winds and even lightning to affected areas on Wednesday and into Thursday.

What do we know about the latest weather warning and how could it affect you?

A roadside filled with debris from the rooftops of three houses which were torn off during storm Eunice, in north west London Credit: PA
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Where will the severe weather hit and when is it due?

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind across north-east England, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and parts of Scotland from 6am to 3pm on Wednesday.

A second yellow warning for wind and snow covers much of Scotland and Northern Ireland from 1pm on Wednesday until 3pm on Thursday – with up to 10cm of snow likely at even low levels and the possibility of 70mph gusts on coasts.

Heavy rain Credit: Nick Potts/PA
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What does a yellow weather warning mean?

While not as severe as the red weather warning in place for Storm Eunice on Friday, a yellow weather warning means there is a small chance of flying debris, with damage to buildings along with the likelihood of some travel disruption.

The strong gusty winds in this warning for Wednesday will be caused by lee gusts. According to the Met Office, lee waves are standing waves in the air that form downwind of a hill or mountain range as winds pass over them. These can be "erratic and gusty" and can blow at twice the wind speed.

Why is the latest weather warning not 'Storm Gladys'?

Unlike hurricanes, storms do not have an official meteorological definition.

The Met Office name storms depending on the impact from the wind but also include the impacts of rain and snow.

Usually, a storm will be given a name when it is severe enough to potentially cause an amber or red warning or if rain could lead to flooding as advised by the Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales flood warnings.

The Met Office began naming storms in 2015 as a way of being able to communicate approaching severe weather that may have an impact on people and property.

Insurers typically define 55mph winds as a storm, although this does vary from provider to provider and there may be other factors.

Are we having more storms?

While three named storms in a week is a record, the Met Office say stormy weather is not unusual in the winter and we only need to go back to the winter of 2013-14 to see a similarly stormy winter.

"Overall, the period from mid-December 2013 to mid-February 2014 saw at least 12 major winter storms, and, when considered overall, this was the stormiest period of weather the UK has experienced for at least 20 years," the Met Office said.

"We have seen comparable or more severe storms in recent years, including 3 January 2012 and 8 December 2011, each of which caused widespread impacts."