The first named storm of the season is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain later this week. A number of weather warnings have been issued for Storm Amy though the Hull and East Yorkshire region is forecast to avoid the worst of the weather and is not in the current warning areas. However, "there is still some uncertainty about the exact track Storm Amy will take".
The storm was officially named by the Met Office this morning, which is expected to arrive on later on Friday and into Saturday. In our region, winds are forecast to be "strong, with gales likely in places" accompanied by downpours that are "locally heavy at times".
A number of outlets incorrectly reported the arrival of Storm Amy in mid-September amid a period of heavy downpours and gusty winds but, though there were weather warnings for rain associated with that low-pressure system, it was not given 'named' status by the Met Office, Irish forecaster Met Éireann or KNMI, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tom Crabtree said: "Although there is still some uncertainty about the exact track Storm Amy will take, the system will bring gale force winds across northern and western regions, with gusts widely reaching 50 to 60 miles per hour inland in northern Britain, and potentially reaching 70 to 80 miles per hour in places - with even stronger gusts on exposed coasts and hills, mainly in the northwest.
"Heavy rainfall is also expected, in particularly over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50 mm in 6-9 hours, increasing the risk of localised flooding. Forecasts and warnings will be updated as the situation becomes more clear, therefore it is important to keep an eye forecast for your area over the coming days."
On Friday and Saturday, temperatures in our area are expected to peak at around 17 or 18C with overnight lows between 9 and 12C. It is forecast to be "drier but staying windy" on Sunday.
Regarding the naming of storms, the Met Office website states: "In the UK a storm will be named when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning. This is based on our National Severe Weather Warnings service, which is a combination of both the impact the weather may have, and the likelihood of those impacts occurring.
"Storms will usually be named on the basis of the impacts from strong winds, but the impacts of other weather types will also be considered. For example rain, if its impact could lead to flooding as advised by the Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales flood warnings, or snow. Therefore 'storm systems' could be named on the basis of impacts from the wind but also include the impacts of rain and snow."
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