August 19th 2024.
As the calendar turned to August 15, people were bracing themselves for a battle against high winds and driving rain on Garth Pier in Bangor. Hurricane Ernesto was making its last gasps, and the effects were set to bring unsettled weather to the UK. The Met Office had issued yellow warnings for Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, warning of heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 60mph.
After a period of sunny weather that finally felt like summer for many, the brunt of the storm was expected to hit Scotland. However, even areas as far south as London were not exempt from the effects of Ernesto. In the worst-affected areas in the Highlands, up to 150mm of rain was expected to fall within a 24-hour period.
Although the storm had already wreaked havoc in the North Atlantic, with maximum winds of 85mph leaving hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico and Bermuda without power, it was still a force to be reckoned with. Even as it was downgraded to a tropical storm and weakened further by the time it reached the UK, it was still a weather event to be prepared for.
But Ernesto was not the only dramatic weather heading for the UK from across the Atlantic. The Met Office had also noticed a rather strange phenomenon in the sky – a white, hazy appearance caused by smoke from wildfires in North America. This was a result of the massive blazes in the US and Canada, with the smoke drifting thousands of miles and giving the sky an odd appearance. However, it was not all bad news, as this could potentially lead to a more vibrant sunset and a beautiful orange tinge to the almost full moon.
According to the Met Office, the wildfire smoke was not the only thing to prepare for. Rain was expected from the next day, with the storm set to hit on Wednesday with even more downpours. Forecaster Craig Snell explained that Ernesto, although currently a tropical storm, would weaken as it moved into cooler waters and merged with a more typical area of low pressure. However, the remnants of the storm's warmth and moisture would enhance the rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday.
Despite the cooler temperatures, festival-goers at the Green Man Festival were still enjoying the hot weather on August 16. Mr Snell reassured that wet and windy weather in August was not unusual, and weather warnings were in place for south-west Scotland and the Lothian borders region on Monday afternoon and evening, as well as north-east Scotland for most of Wednesday and Thursday.
The Met Office warned of potential delays to public transport, spray and flooding on roads, and even power cuts and flooding in homes and businesses. They also mentioned a small chance of large waves and a danger to coastal areas due to the spring tide on Wednesday and Thursday.
Looking at the forecast for the rest of the UK, it seemed to be quite unsettled and cooler than the previous week, where a high of 34.8C was recorded in Cambridge. However, the south and south-east of England were expected to have some drier weather and even warmer spells, with highs of around 26C in East Anglia.
But as for the upcoming bank holiday weekend, it was a little too early to predict the outlook. So for now, people were advised to stay prepared and keep an eye on the weather updates from the Met Office.
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