Forecasters tracking the potential for multiple windstorms to strike Europe
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Oct 27, 2020 4:45 PM EST
As Hurricane Zeta approached the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, strong winds gusting upwards of 80 mph blasted Cancun on Oct. 26.
A parade of storms from the North Atlantic is expected to sweep across northwestern Europe through this weekend and into the beginning of next week. As this pattern takes shape, meteorologists say this will increase the risk for dangerous windstorms to unfold.
After a quick reprieve from the unsettled weather that developed late last week, a new unsettled pattern kicked off on Tuesday with the arrival of a cold front across the British Isles and northern France. The front moved into central Europe through the middle of the week, bringing occasional blustery showers to the region.
Two smaller but more potent storms are forecast to track near the British Isles between Thursday night and Saturday.
Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall will overspread the region with the passage of each storm, but AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley warned that there is potential for either of these storms to strengthen into the next named windstorms of the season.
"The strongest wind gusts can reach 40-60 mph (65-97 km/h) across The Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, northwestern France, western parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and southwestern Norway," said Longley.
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Whether or not a windstorm is able to develop, each storm expected to race across the British Isles will bring locally heavy rainfall into the beginning of the weekend.
Flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas will become more likely with each passing storm across Ireland, the U.K. and into southwestern Norway as rainfall totals are expected to reach 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) through the beginning of the weekend.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 100 mm (4 inches) is possible along the western coasts of these areas.
The windstorm potential will continue across northwestern Europe through the end of the weekend and into the beginning of next week as another feisty storm is forecast to move through the region.
This storm may be the most likely to become a windstorm as it will have more time to strengthen and is forecast to bring strong wind gusts to a larger portion of the continent.
Residents from Ireland and the U.K. to Denmark and northern Germany are reminded to monitor the progress of each storm as this messy pattern carries some uncertainty.
Numerous storms tracking through the region in such a short period of time make it difficult to determine the exact tracks of the storms and which ones will gain sufficient strength to support widespread damaging wind gusts.
AccuWeather's team of long-range meteorologists released its 2020-2021 winter forecast for Europe last week. The forecast has a region-by-region breakdown of what Europeans can expect in the coming months, including how the primary storm track for the winter will develop.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Forecasters tracking the potential for multiple windstorms to strike Europe
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Oct 27, 2020 4:45 PM EST
As Hurricane Zeta approached the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, strong winds gusting upwards of 80 mph blasted Cancun on Oct. 26.
A parade of storms from the North Atlantic is expected to sweep across northwestern Europe through this weekend and into the beginning of next week. As this pattern takes shape, meteorologists say this will increase the risk for dangerous windstorms to unfold.
After a quick reprieve from the unsettled weather that developed late last week, a new unsettled pattern kicked off on Tuesday with the arrival of a cold front across the British Isles and northern France. The front moved into central Europe through the middle of the week, bringing occasional blustery showers to the region.
Two smaller but more potent storms are forecast to track near the British Isles between Thursday night and Saturday.
Gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall will overspread the region with the passage of each storm, but AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley warned that there is potential for either of these storms to strengthen into the next named windstorms of the season.
"The strongest wind gusts can reach 40-60 mph (65-97 km/h) across The Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, northwestern France, western parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and southwestern Norway," said Longley.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Whether or not a windstorm is able to develop, each storm expected to race across the British Isles will bring locally heavy rainfall into the beginning of the weekend.
Flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas will become more likely with each passing storm across Ireland, the U.K. and into southwestern Norway as rainfall totals are expected to reach 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) through the beginning of the weekend.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 100 mm (4 inches) is possible along the western coasts of these areas.
The windstorm potential will continue across northwestern Europe through the end of the weekend and into the beginning of next week as another feisty storm is forecast to move through the region.
Related:
This storm may be the most likely to become a windstorm as it will have more time to strengthen and is forecast to bring strong wind gusts to a larger portion of the continent.
Residents from Ireland and the U.K. to Denmark and northern Germany are reminded to monitor the progress of each storm as this messy pattern carries some uncertainty.
Numerous storms tracking through the region in such a short period of time make it difficult to determine the exact tracks of the storms and which ones will gain sufficient strength to support widespread damaging wind gusts.
AccuWeather's team of long-range meteorologists released its 2020-2021 winter forecast for Europe last week. The forecast has a region-by-region breakdown of what Europeans can expect in the coming months, including how the primary storm track for the winter will develop.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo