5 weather hazards to prepare for this autumn

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

October 4,2016; 9:44PM,EDT

 

 

The arrival of autumn means an increased risk for several weather threats across the United Kingdom.
Cyclists travel through Autumn foliage in Richmond Park in London, Friday, Oct. 31,2014. Friday is expected be the warmest Halloween on record in many parts of northern Europe. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Wind storms return
Powerful wind storms return during autumn as the jet stream shifts southward and causes storm systems to cross the United Kingdom with a higher frequency.
Naming of wind storms will continue in the winter of 2016-2017 after the effort started last year to raise people's awareness of storm impacts.
Strong wind storms can result in widespread power outages, travel delays and structural damage. These storms can also cause significant flooding, especially in low-lying coastal areas.
"The track of the storm determines where the damaging winds will be," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
"If the track is to the north of Scotland, then the damaging winds will be across Northern Ireland and Scotland, and if the track is across Scotland, then the damaging winds will be across Wales and England," Roys said.
Late in the autumn, wind storms can also produce significant snowfall and blizzard conditions across the higher terrain of Scotland, northern England and Wales.
Thunderstorms
While most people associate thunderstorms with warm summer days, thunderstorms also remain a threat through the months of autumn.
The areas most likely to get thunderstorms during autumn include Wales, the Midlands and southern England. The greatest threat for severe thunderstorms is across Greater London and the southeast.
Thunderstorms are most frequent in September with a decline from October into November.
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Thunderstorms pose threats ranging from dangerous lightning to flash flooding, damaging winds, hail and even tornadoes.
"Tornadoes that spin up during autumn typically don't last long or travel over a long distance," Roys said.
Fog and mist
Fog shrouds the clock tower which houses the 'Big Ben' bell of the Palace of Westminster in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
While fog and mist are possible anytime during the year, the frequency of fog formation increases during autumn.
Fog and mist can cause significant travel delays and create hazardous driving conditions, especially during the morning commute when fog is often the most widespread and dense.
Fog increases during autumn as nights become longer and temperatures fall more quickly after sunset.
"Fog typically develops when there are light winds and limited cloud coverage," Roys said.
Fog and mist can create an additional hazard when temperatures fall to near or below freezing resulting in an icy glaze on surfaces.
Snow and ice
Snow covers the fields around the Mourne mountains near the village of Hilltown, Northern Ireland, Monday, Nov. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
As colder air dives southward across the United Kingdom during autumn, the threat for ice and snow increases.
Snow is uncommon during the month of September and generally limited to the higher terrain through October.
However, lower elevation snow and ice become more frequent during November even though lasting snowfall is on paved surfaces is generally not widespread.
Snow and ice can result in dangerous travel conditions. In addition, snow falling early in the season can cause power outages and road closures due to tree damage if leaves at still on trees.
Early frost
The first frost and freeze occurs during autumn throughout the United Kingdom.
The average first frost varies depending on location with the first frost generally occurring in late September across the higher terrain of Scotland and northwest England.
The last locations to experience a frost are generally coastal locations of Wales and southwest England where warmer ocean temperatures result in milder nights.
Urban areas also typically have a later first frost than rural areas surrounding the city.