A significant event has been announced following extensive flooding in the West Country due to Storm Chandra, which brought heavy rainfall and strong winds, including gusts reaching up to 80mph in Northern Ireland.
Recent reports indicate that England has 95 flood warnings and 257 flood alerts in effect, while Wales and Scotland have several warnings and alerts as well. Somerset Council declared a major incident due to severe flooding in low-lying areas, with properties in Ilminster affected. Storm Chandra also caused disruptions in various parts of the UK.
The storm led to the cancellation of domestic flights serving multiple airports in Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds Bradford, London City, Manchester, and Southampton. Images from Devon and Somerset showed numerous vehicles stranded in floodwaters.
School closures were reported in Devon and Northern Ireland, with multiple road closures in south-west England. Weather warnings for ice cover much of England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and southern and central Scotland. Additionally, a rain warning is in place for south-west England on Thursday, with the potential for further flooding and transport issues.
Storm Chandra is the latest storm named by the western Europe storm naming group list shared among the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Looking ahead, the GFS weather model predicts wintry conditions, including snowfall, in parts of Wales, the Midlands, the north-east, and Scotland next week.
The Met Office forecasts “wintry hazards” from February 10 to 24, with wet conditions likely in central and southern areas, and drier conditions in the north and northwest. Colder air interacting with precipitation could bring wintry hazards, especially in the north and northeast regions.