Britain is set to be battered by back-to-back storms with 70mph winds and thundery downpours forecast for most of the first week of 2018.
The Met Office will announce severe weather warnings for much of the country from Tuesday, with forecasters refusing to rule out the possibility of announcing the arrival of both Storms Eleanor and Fionn.
Tomorrow’s stormy conditions will herald the start of a wet and wild week, with the first snow of the year expected in the Pennines and gale force winds sweeping across the south and west on Wednesday.
Heavy rain which fell over New Year’s Eve during Storm Dylan has also forced the Environment Agency to issue two flood warnings in central and south-west England, with 58 flood alerts dotted around the country.
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said the outlook was bleak for almost all Britons, with rain and wind expected in nearly every corner of the UK.
‘It is going to be very unsettled for much of the week and we will be issuing some severe weather warnings,’ she told MailOnline.
Calm before the storm: The first sunrise of 2018 creeps above the Ely Cathedral and the Cambridgeshire Fens as the country prepares for wet and wild conditions for the remainder of the week
Heavy rain which fell over New Year’s Eve during Storm Dylan has also forced the Environment Agency to issue two flood warnings in central and south-west England, with 58 flood alerts dotted around the country
The Met Office will announce severe weather warnings for much of the country from Tuesday, with forecasters refusing to rule out the possibility of announcing the arrival of both Storms Eleanor and Fionn
‘Tomorrow is a day we’ve got a particular eye on. A low tracking across Ireland and Scotland will bring rain to all parts of the UK and then behind that there some very strong winds likely across England and Wales.’
Asked if the conditions warranted the announcement of Storm Eleanor, she added: ‘It’s something we are certainly monitoring so watch this space.’
The Met Office’s Alex Deakin added: ‘For the next week or so the weather is going to be keep us on our toes for sure. There will be some very lively conditions with bouts of wet and windy weather sweeping the UK.
‘Showery and breezy is how we start 2018 with some low pressure still in control for New Year’s Day. The early part of the year will continue to be dominated by low pressure systems and an active jet stream.
Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said the outlook was bleak for almost all Britons, with rain and wind expected in nearly every corner of the UK
Southern counties will have a wet start today thanks to the fringes of Storm Carmen – confusingly christened by meteorologists in France and Spain (pictured: Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire)
‘So the weather looks like staying very changeable into 2018, with further bouts of wet and windy weather, while any drier periods will be fairly brief with day to day changes.’
Southern counties will have a wet start today thanks to the fringes of Storm Carmen – confusingly christened by meteorologists in France and Spain.
It will herald what for many will be a wet and wild week, with snow forecast to return to the Pennines on Tuesday.
‘We’ll have a bit of everything during the coming week, barring a spell of nice weather,’ said Met Office forecaster Steven Keates.
‘While New Year’s Day will start off wet in the South, anyone planning a walk after the excesses of the night should get a dry spell if they pick their moment.
‘But it will be an unsettled week with high tides bringing a risk of flooding by midweek and colder temperatures by the weekend bringing the risk of more widespread snow to the north and east.’
Tomorrow’s stormy conditions will herald the start of a wet and wild week, with the first snow of the year expected in the Pennines and gale force winds sweeping across the south and west on Wednesday