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(Photo by Mark Vogan) Heavy swells rolling in at Ardrossan, Ayrshire this afternoon (west coast of Scotland)
It’s a different story for the wind as the South of England are expecting sustained winds in the 35mph territory and that includes Greater London. Areas of the south coast may see nearer 40mph sustained with gusts likely topping 60 or 70mph in places.
THE WORST OF THE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE FROM CUMBRIA TO DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY where the Met Office expects a possible 7 INCHES OF RAIN to fall. Here the rain has lulled whereas I believe the road I take this morning down into the heart of Dumfries and Galloway should be battered by wind and rain as I journey south…
5.50PM UPDATE: Well the forecast held true, we continue as of this dark, evening hour, get pounded by heavy rain and gusty winds. It hasn’t let up ALL DAY and many portions of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and across much of the Southern Uplands have recieved a real drenching with many fields severly flooded.
Like the forecast said, The English county of Cumbria and Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway region has been worst hit by hours of torrential, wind driven rains. Strong winds have also created even worse conditions.
Here are some interesting rainfall stats reaching the headlines.
- Portions of Cumbria are under water as local rivers burst their banks, unable to cope with the extreme rains. Some 21 schools within the district are closed. Keswick town center is under water.
- Homes in Penrith have also been taking in water through today as sandbagged a major work in progress right now.
- Roads across North Wales and southern Scotland have been severly hit also with some roads completely under water.
- Within 24 hours, Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway recieved 2.3 inches of rain, but portions of Cumbria have seen over 6 inches so far in 24 hours.
After a stiffening wind when I awakened this morning at 2am along with a nightlong of rising temperatures, rains had abated some (up around Glasgow) but as expected that lull between bands of heavy rains last night soon saw a new, long lived band move up before daybreak this morning from Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway, where the intense rains did not lull like up in Glasgow (75 miles to the north). My wife said via text that rain was battering here off the windows of our Lennoxtown home at 6.30am so the bands had arrived to the Glasgow area by then, they haven’t quit all day long. I was driving down into the northern edge of where the very worst rains would be as I drove through Dumfries and Galloway where, like Cumbria (home to the Lake District), the terrain is very hilly and highly elevated, thus capturing the plume of copious amounts of moisture reeling in from the Atlantic’s sub-tropics.. Warmth was felt as soon as I stepped outside at 3am, it was a very mild 54 degrees, a mild, subtropical air brought up on board a fairly benign 5-10mph southwest wind but likely stronger at various levels of the atmosphere.
More to come soon.
-Mark
>I had to canoe to work here in Lochgelly. Flood waters were 53 deep and rising, and the temperature was 93. gusts of wind hit 44. i had my factor 50 on. I managed to track one down in Clapham.
>Thanks for your comments Goran. The seemingly increased precipitation does stand out to me. In this case, the forecast was out and it was expected to be a major rain maker. This system has tropical injection and properties to it yet it was not a "tropical system" when it started raining on us. This is in part the remnants of Ida which made for one of the strongest ever Eastern US storms (see earlier posts on this blog regarding that system). This is part of the SAME STORM.. The sub-tropical jet I believe was involved and el nino years typically enhance the southerly jet. I am going to research this storm further..
>Great report Mark. Thanks
>I experienced simlilar problems. With my usual route to work closed off due to this unexpected tropical rainfall, I had to take a detour, making me 5 minutes late. Do you think the increasingly warm weather is making rainfall more unpredictable?
>The flood waters were so extravagant that a car had it's exhaust washed off in a localised tsunami.
I hear they are struggling to cope in Lochgelly, it's so warm, their window wipers keep melting.