Storm Ciara set to batter Northamptonshire with 60mph gusts this weekend

Met Office warns of wind and rain causing havoc over 30-hour period on Saturday and Sunday
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Monster winds and rain which will batter Northamptonshire this weekend have been named Storm Ciara by weather experts.

Met Office forecasters issued a yellow warning on Tuesday (February 4) covering a 30-hour period from 6pm on Saturday through to 23:59 on Sunday night.

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Gusts in the Northamptonshire are predicted to be close to 60mph on Sunday afternoon and be accompanied by heavy rain.

60mph gusts are set to batter Northamptonshire on Sunday.60mph gusts are set to batter Northamptonshire on Sunday.
60mph gusts are set to batter Northamptonshire on Sunday.

And weather-watchers fear Storm Ciara could be even stronger by the time it hits the UK and fear it will bring a range of disruption which may affect some power supplies and transport services across.

Neil Armstrong is a chief forecaster with the Met Office. He said: “An extremely strong jet stream flowing from North America will be steering a succession of low-pressure systems towards the UK at least into the middle of next week.

"The relative predictability of this pattern has provided an early warning and has given us the certainty to be able to name this storm four days ahead.

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“We will continue to monitor the development of Storm Ciara and other potentially impactful low-pressure systems through next week. Warnings will be issued and amended as appropriate so members of the public should keep up to date with the Met Office forecast.”

How Sunday's forecast for Northamptonshire looks according to the Met Office.How Sunday's forecast for Northamptonshire looks according to the Met Office.
How Sunday's forecast for Northamptonshire looks according to the Met Office.

The current warning covers the whole of the UK but, even if the Met Office alert remains at its lowest level for Northamptonshire, there is still potential for Storm Ciara to wreak havoc in the county.

A Met Office spokesman said: "Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are expected and there is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close

"There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. There is also a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs."

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Storm Ciara is the third named storm of the winter, following Storm Atiyah which hit the UK in December and Storm Brendan which brought wind and rain in mid-January.

The strongest gusts to hit Northamptonshire since local records began were clocked at 70mph on October 27, 2002.