Active weather to stretch across much of Europe leading up to Christmas
By
Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Dec 23, 2020 1:02 PM EDT
On the heels of several storms that brought rain and wind to northwestern Europe, another will sweep through parts of Great Britain, France and a large portion of central and northern Europe into Thursday.
The storm moved ashore in northwest Europe on Wednesday, bringing a period of rain and wind to southern Britain and northwestern France.
While this storm is not expected to rise to the level of a windstorm, it can still bring disruption to power and travel as strong winds and rain batter the region.
“Wind gusts can reach 50-60 mph (80-95 km/h) across northwestern France and far southwestern England,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman. He added, “An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 65 mph (105 km/h) is possible in coastal areas.”
Among the areas expected to see the strong winds are Brest, Vannes and Nantes. The isles of Guernsey and Jersey can also be battered by winds and pounding surf.
These winds can produce isolated power cuts across the region and may down some tree branches.
Heavy rain will also be another hazard accompanying the storm, and its impacts will be felt across a larger area than that of the wind.
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While strong wind will largely be confined to northwest France and far southwestern England into Wednesday night, heavy rain will spread farther east and cross northern Europe into Thursday.
Zartman said, “25-50 mm (1-2 inches) of rain is expected to fall across portions of Wales, central England and northern France into Wednesday night.”
This rain will fall across a region that has had above-normal rainfall so far the month. As a result, soil is saturated and waterways are running high, so additional heavy rain can lead to isolated flooding.
Into Thursday, while not as heavy, soaking rain can spread across much of Germany and Poland, into the lower elevations of Switzerland, Austria and Czechia. Snow can fall across higher elevations.
Travel on roads could be slowed by the wet conditions and air travel could see delays due to clouds and reduced visibility.
This storm may also bring a wintry side with it across portions of Wales and central England.
From the higher terrain of Wales into the England Midlands, rain can mix with or even change to snow for a time on Wednesday night before coming to an end by Thursday morning.
While a significant accumulation is not expected, some of the higher hills can see a slushy covering of snow. Temperatures that are expected to climb above freezing during the day on Thursday will cause much of any settled snow to melt, so a white Christmas is unlikely.
Christmas Day across much of the British Isles and western France is expected to be dry though chilly. A mixture of rain and snow showers can stretch from eastern France into Germany and Poland. Steadier snow will ensure a white Christmas across the Alps.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather Forecasts
Active weather to stretch across much of Europe leading up to Christmas
By Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Dec 23, 2020 1:02 PM EDT
On the heels of several storms that brought rain and wind to northwestern Europe, another will sweep through parts of Great Britain, France and a large portion of central and northern Europe into Thursday.
The storm moved ashore in northwest Europe on Wednesday, bringing a period of rain and wind to southern Britain and northwestern France.
While this storm is not expected to rise to the level of a windstorm, it can still bring disruption to power and travel as strong winds and rain batter the region.
“Wind gusts can reach 50-60 mph (80-95 km/h) across northwestern France and far southwestern England,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman. He added, “An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 65 mph (105 km/h) is possible in coastal areas.”
Among the areas expected to see the strong winds are Brest, Vannes and Nantes. The isles of Guernsey and Jersey can also be battered by winds and pounding surf.
These winds can produce isolated power cuts across the region and may down some tree branches.
Heavy rain will also be another hazard accompanying the storm, and its impacts will be felt across a larger area than that of the wind.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
While strong wind will largely be confined to northwest France and far southwestern England into Wednesday night, heavy rain will spread farther east and cross northern Europe into Thursday.
Zartman said, “25-50 mm (1-2 inches) of rain is expected to fall across portions of Wales, central England and northern France into Wednesday night.”
This rain will fall across a region that has had above-normal rainfall so far the month. As a result, soil is saturated and waterways are running high, so additional heavy rain can lead to isolated flooding.
Into Thursday, while not as heavy, soaking rain can spread across much of Germany and Poland, into the lower elevations of Switzerland, Austria and Czechia. Snow can fall across higher elevations.
Travel on roads could be slowed by the wet conditions and air travel could see delays due to clouds and reduced visibility.
Related:
This storm may also bring a wintry side with it across portions of Wales and central England.
From the higher terrain of Wales into the England Midlands, rain can mix with or even change to snow for a time on Wednesday night before coming to an end by Thursday morning.
While a significant accumulation is not expected, some of the higher hills can see a slushy covering of snow. Temperatures that are expected to climb above freezing during the day on Thursday will cause much of any settled snow to melt, so a white Christmas is unlikely.
Christmas Day across much of the British Isles and western France is expected to be dry though chilly. A mixture of rain and snow showers can stretch from eastern France into Germany and Poland. Steadier snow will ensure a white Christmas across the Alps.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo