The relentless Atlantic storm train continues with another exceptionally deep low set to hammer Ireland and the UK Friday into Saturday.

Models have pressure falling into the 946-948mb territory which is very low but by this winter’s standards, pretty typical. Today marks brief respite before the next round of pelting rain and concern over nearby river levels. When looking at the charts to prepare for today’s post, I happened to look at the ECMWF sea level pressure across Europe and couldn’t believe the strength of the surface high over Russia at 54 hours.

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With the 948mb low approaching Irish shores and a 1054mb high over Russia, that’s an astonishing and rare pressure gradient across the continent.

Check out out!

Yes, you know it’s brutally cold beneath a surface high that strong. At or below -40C.

Here’s projected lows tomorrow morning. Lows widely between -25 and -35C over Russia, below freezing over the UK!

As the low approaches the west of Scotland Saturday it weakens a touch but is still a formidable 954mb low with core of strongest winds set to sweep Ireland with some damage likely in the west and northwest.

The southern flank of the low is projected to bring winds of at least 70kts onshore along Ireland’s West Coast, 50-60kts over Western Scotland with gales elsewhere. Big swells are sure to be generated by this system too so if travelling by ferry this weekend, your safer checking ahead just to be safe.

This low will be followed by more lows and each will be pump ridging and erase a lot of the cold over the continent. Next couple of days will see big Alpine snows before warming air builds into the heart of the continent from the Med.

Note the pumping of the ridge over Europe as a powerful Atlantic flow pushes into the west. The powerful cold high shifts east back into west Asia.

Now

72 hrs

120 hrs

Notice the trough deepening over the North Atlantic. Warmer times for the eastern US and over Europe. Classic positive NAO!

No Rain Relief In Sight!

Sick of the rain? Unfortunately there’s plenty more to come next week to 10 days.

Expected rainfall over the next 7 days according to the QPF. Brighter yellow over western Ireland indicates another 4-5 inches of rain, widely 1-2 inches including western Britain, 2-3 inches for western Scotland.

Here’s the next 10 days, not good!

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