Storm Bert - what can the UK expect from the second storm of the winter?

As the UK shivers under its first widespread Arctic blast of the season, expert eyes have turned to the Atlantic, where a deep area of low pressure is set to bring very wet and windy but milder conditions this weekend.

The Met Office have just named the system Storm Bert - our second storm of the season - bringing strong winds, heavy rain and disruptive snow from the early hours of Saturday morning.

With the trees still in partial leaf, heavy rain and strong winds combined with melting snow, Storm Bert is likely to bring some disruption to parts of the UK and Ireland.

Some areas could see gusts of wind up to 70mph. The west will experience particularly heavy rain, the Met Office has said.

Storm Bert was named by Met Eireann, Ireland's national meteorological service.

The Met Office started naming storms in 2015, to flag weather systems with the potential to cause "medium" or "high" impacts to the UK, Ireland or Netherlands.

The system aims to provide make communication with the public easier and bring clarity when people could be affected by weather.

The group named 12 storms in the 2023/24 season, reaching the letter ‘L’ with Lilian on August 22, 2024, the Met Office said.

Bert comes after Storm Ashley lashed Britain late last month, with high winds across the north and east of Scotland and north-east England.

Several roads were closed in the north of England, flood warnings were in place across the south Cornwall and large parts of the River Severn and tens of thousands of Irish and homes were let without power.

The hazardous conditions saw dozens of flights cancelled on Sunday, including at airports in Dublin and Belfast.

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