It’s one 12 months since three named storms impacted the UK inside seven days in what was the stormiest week since storm names had been launched for the UK in 2015. Right here, we glance again on what was per week to recollect for UK climate.
February 2022 – a historic week for UK storms
Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin impacted the UK inside seven days, with Dudley impacting the UK on 16-17 February, Eunice 18 February and Franklin 20-21 February. It’s the primary time three storms had been named in per week since storm naming was launched for the UK in 2015.
This era of extreme climate was signalled nicely upfront, with the Amber warning for Storm Eunice the longest-range Amber wind warning ever issued by the Met Workplace.
The following pink warnings for wind for Storm Eunice highlighted the hazard to life and an uncovered web site on the Isle of Wight recorded England’s highest ever gust pace of 122mph. This was one of many UK’s most extreme storms since February 2014.
Warnings for the storms helped cut back impacts, with over a fifth fewer autos on the roads because of Eunice warnings and Met Workplace forecasts helped companions just like the nationwide air visitors management service, NATS, land planes safely in difficult circumstances.
Extreme climate hasn’t been laborious to come back by since these wind warnings in February 2022. A summer season of record-breaking warmth, together with a drought for a lot of, adopted by a December chilly snap and even some mid-winter heavy rain, has meant the climate hasn’t been removed from the headlines.
Making ready for extreme climate
The Met Workplace’s Will Lang leads the crew answerable for climate preparedness and is a spokesperson for WeatherReady – a partner-led initiative with helpful climate suggestions, recommendation and sensible guides.
Trying again on the storms from a 12 months in the past, Will mentioned: “February 2022 was a stark reminder for the general public of the impression extreme climate can have.
“Whereas warnings helped to mitigate the impacts, top-of-the-line methods for the general public to be ready for extreme climate is to take motion earlier than the climate turns extreme and we all know that’s what many individuals did forward of Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.”
Identify, however no disgrace
Storms have been named for the UK since 2015, with names chosen in partnership with Met Eireann and KNMI on naming low strain techniques which might be deemed to have the potential to trigger medium or excessive impacts in an space. For the Met Workplace, this may sometimes imply an amber or often a pink warning.
Met Workplace post-event surveys revealed that greater than 98% of individuals inside pink warning areas for Storm Eunice had been conscious of the warning, with round 90% of these taking direct motion to guard themselves or their property from the extreme climate within the forecast.
Will added: “Storm naming works. It supplies a single authoritative system of speaking the climate to the general public, serving to folks hold themselves, their property and companies protected. Storm Eunice demonstrated this excellently, serving to to make sure companions, the media, responders and the general public had the data they wanted to remain protected in extreme climate.”
Storm Otto, which has been named by the Danish Meteorological Institute, impacted the UK on 17 February 2023. Because of this, the primary named storm on 2022/23’s checklist of storms for the UK is presently unused, with Storm Antoni the primary identify on the checklist.
