Gusty winds, rainy spells aim at UK following Henry's road closures and rush hour rail delays

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

February 3,2016; 8:24PM,EST

 

 

Storms, packing gusty winds and rainy spells, will approach the United Kingdom from the Atlantic Ocean this weekend into next week.
Storms Gertrude and Henry caused widespread travel disruptions across the U.K. with wind gusts over 100 mph (160 km/h) in the Scottish Highlands. While the storms this weekend will bring new rounds of wind and rain, impacts are expected to be less than the previous storms.
The first in this series of storms will arrive on Saturday with rain and wind spreading across the U.K.
Wind gust over 30 mph (48 km/h) will be common; however, the threat of damaging winds or any significant travel disruption will be minimal.

Those with outdoor plans will need to be prepared to deal with wet weather, especially during the afternoon when the heaviest rain is expected.
A second storm arriving Sunday will continue the wet weather, with the steadiest rain arriving during the afternoon.
Winds will be gusty throughout the U.K. as the second storm moves through. The strongest winds are expected across Northern Ireland and Scotland, where occasional gusts of 40-50 mph (65-80 km/h) are possible.
This storm will slowly track east into Monday as gusty winds and showers continue throughout the country.
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A third storm will then target the United Kingdom on Wednesday, and this storm could have the greatest and most widespread impacts.
While the exact timing and strength of this storm remain uncertain, the potential exists for heavy rainfall in the north of England and Scotland resulting in flooding as well as widespread winds over 50 mph (80 km/h).
A more southerly track would bring these damaging winds into Wales and the rest of England as well with significant travel disruptions throughout the country. This scenario would feature an increased risk for damaging winds in Snowdonia, the Cambrian Mountains, the Shropshire Hills and Peak District.
The most likely timeframe for the storm impacts is Wednesday or Thursday of next week, so anyone with travel plans during the middle of the week should monitor this situation closely as more information becomes available in the next few days.