Stormy Weather for the UK by Helen McKenzie
There has been a lot of talk about Hurricane Gordon heading towards the UK. It is not uncommon at this time of year for the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone (such as tropical storms and hurricanes) to move into Northern latitudes and affect the weather across Europe. When we get the remnants of a hurricane it will be an area of low pressure, often with a lot of moisture. So if our weather is affected, it will generally bring wind and rain. The amount of rain and strength of the wind though, is very variable.
At the moment, Hurricane Gordon is in the Atlantic at Latitude 37.6 North, Longitude 26.3 West, which is around 60 km west-southwest of the Azores island of Sao Miguel. The eastern Azores are currently on a hurricane warning. It is then forecast to track across Northwest Spain on Thursday. Beyond that, Gordon’s path is uncertain, but is likely to affect the UK later in the week, bringing heavy rain and gale force winds to parts of the UK. Northern Ireland and western parts of the mainland look most likely to see the strongest winds, with speeds of 70 to 80 mph forecast. With trees in full leaf, there could be some uprooted trees and fallen branches, as well as some structural damage in the worst effected areas. However, there could be marked contrasts across the country, with the south and east seeing temperatures as high as 28C.
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