News release

18 September 2006

Met Office forecasters are warning that, over the coming days, western Europe, including the British Isles, could feel the effects of an ex-tropical storm, with the potential for prolonged heavy rain, unseasonably high temperatures and strong winds.

Hurricane Gordon is currently in the mid-Atlantic, but is moving east towards the Azores. Through this week it is expected to lose its strength, but the effects of the storm will be felt closer to home as the remnants influence the weather across the UK during the second half of the week.

This weekend sees the Autumnal equinox. It is not uncommon at this time of year for the remains of ex-tropical cyclones (such as tropical storms and hurricanes) to move into northern latitudes and affect the weather across Europe. The impacts of such events are extremely variable. On this occasion we expect to see:

• heavy, prolonged rain, especially in northern and western areas;
• unseasonably high temperatures, possibly up to 28 °C, especially across south eastern areas;
• the potential for very strong winds, especially affecting northern and western areas;
• large sea swells coming onto south-west and west-facing beaches.

There is still doubt about how the weather pattern will develop over coming days and the detail of the forecast will be important. If the likelihood of severe weather across the UK increases, the Met Office will issue severe weather warnings as part of its remit as the UK's national weather service. It is advisable that people check the latest weather forecast to see how things are developing.

Latest forecast for the UK

UK warnings of severe weather

What to do in severe weather

The map shows the most likely paths that Hurricane Gordon and the subsequent remnants of the cyclone could take. These computer model scenarios are based on data from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The scale represents the percentage probability of the cyclone centre being located in that area. The black line is the forecast track from the operational run of the ECMWF model.

Notes:

• The Met Office is the UK's National Weather Service, providing 24x7 world-renowned scientific excellence in weather, climate and environmental forecasts and severe weather warnings for the protection of life and property.
• Met Office data and services are used by other government departments and agencies; the private sector and the public. Science is, by its very nature, international and we actively engage in partnerships and collaborations.
• ECMWF is the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, an independent international organisation supported by 26 European States. Its member states are:
  Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom.