Will Hurricane Sandy reach us?

All eyes are on the big weather story on the other side of the Atlantic; a number of factors are expected to turn Hurricane Sandy into a monstrous 'super storm' and the latest news is that it is on track for New York, as predicted.

Sandy is also expected to merge with an early winter storm from the west, at which point it will become the powerful super storm. Winds from that system will pull Sandy back toward the US mainland so forecasters and officials along the eastern seaboard are on alert and preparing for one of the worst storms in recent memory.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) pictures can be seen here.

Cold air coming south from Canada is expected to collide with Sandy also, creating a ‘mega storm’, the like of which has rarely been seen in this region.

The New York stock exchange has closed today and will possibly remain so tomorrow due to Sandy inching up the east coast of America. This is the first time in 27 years that the trading floors have remained shut for the entire day due to weather conditions - the last time this happened was in 1985 when Hurricane Gloria hit the city.

Now more about Sandy… with a diameter of 500 to 700 miles - and a full moon giving higher tides than usual - storm surges of 11 foot are predicted and low lying coastal areas have been evacuated. The consequences of Hurricane Sandy could be monstrous.

Will it reach us at all?

At this stage, it is looking unlikely that the remnants of this system will affect us - but it depends on many factors. It really depends on the flow. Current indications are that Sandy may veer NE'wards and have moved up towards Newfoundland by next weekend, so there is a possibility it could get engaged in the Atlantic flow by then. Gales are possible in the long range 8-10 day forecast.

However, with some 3000 miles of Atlantic ocean to cross, forecasters are reluctant to commit to a prediction for the UK at present.