Second Major Storm of Season Impacts Northwestern Europe

Posted: October 18, 2023 3:26 pm

Northwest Europe is bracing for Storm Babet to deliver heavy rain and strong winds as it roars across the region. Here is what this part of Europe is in store for in the coming days.

Latest on Storm Babet and its Forecast Track

Storm Babet is already the second major storm of the season for the U.K. and Ireland. Over 1,000 customers are without power as Babet is making its presence known. As of Wednesday, Babet was crossing the English Channel located between the U.K. and France, ushering in high waves and torrential rainfall. These impacts will move across northeastern England and into Scotland through at least Saturday.

The U.K. Met Service issued a rare “red warning” as the storm approached. The powerful storm has already impacted Ireland and the southern portion of England with flash flooding. For instance, the city of Cork sustained damage to roadways as the water flooded into the region on Wednesday morning.

The official meteorological service of Ireland, Met Éireann, issued what it refers to as an “orange rain warning” for a handful of countries in the southern portion of the country. Rainfall amounts will likely exceed 2 inches in a short period of time, raising concerns of flooding.

The U.K. has also been under the gun for Babet’s impacts. Rough seas were affecting the coastline on Wednesday, forcing officials to close area beaches out of an abundance of caution. The southern village of Sheldon, England has been experiencing unstable roadways and other issues while the coastal area of Torquay was closed as the storm moved on shore. The southwestern English county of Cornwall has seen the worst of the power outages on Wednesday.

Storm Moving Into Northern Half of the U.K.

The severe impacts of Babet will move into the northern half of the U.K. beginning Thursday and lingering through Saturday. This means that London will begin to see Babet’s wrath in the next few days. While the city will dodge the most severe effects of Babet, it can expect to see periods of heavy rain and breezy conditions.

The northern tier of England is forecast to take on up to 4 inches of rain by the time that Babet dissipates. Rainfall of this magnitude will likely result in flooding, minor structural damage, and travel disruptions.

Looking ahead, Babet is predicted to intensify further as its center of circulation moves into the North Sea later in the week. This intensification will produce wind speeds as high as 70 mph, bringing down trees and triggering more power outages for the region.

The moisture and energy associated with Babet will eventually move into the Low Countries area of Belgium, into The Netherlands and Luxembourg, and down into Germany and Italy beginning Thursday night and lasting until Friday. The remnants of Babet will also produce snow for the higher elevations of the Alps.

You can expect the weather to begin to improve in northwestern Europe by Sunday, however, more storms are on deck by next week as activity picks up in the Atlantic Ocean.

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