Dorian and Gabrielle set sights on the UK this week with heavy rain and winds
As post-tropical systems, Dorian and Gabrielle will deliver a one-two punch of rain and gusty winds to the United Kingdom later this week.
After reaching peak strength while battering the Bahamas and brushing the eastern United States, Dorian will cross the pond with a dose of rain that will start as early as Tuesday. By the time it reaches its destination, Dorian will no longer be a hurricane.
"Dorian has the potential to bring bouts of heavy rain by midweek," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys.
The heaviest rain looks to move into parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland, especially western Scotland, late in the day on Tuesday and continue through Wednesday.
Rainfall amounts of 25-50 mm (1-2 inches), with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 100 mm (4 inches), are expected. This amount of rain is likely to cause some flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas. Some minor stream and river flooding will also be possible.
At the same time, a stiff northwesterly wind will accompany the rain. Wind gusts could reach 40 mph (64 km/h).
"Parts of Scotland could experience localized power outages and tree damage," Roys added.
While much of the heavy rain will stay in northern parts of the British Isles, some showers will still stretch southward into parts of England and Wales.
These areas will likely have increasingly cloudy skies late Tuesday, but have to wait until early Wednesday morning before the showery weather arrives.
Wednesday's showers will not be the last effects from tropical systems this week.
After stirring up the waters of the Atlantic, Gabrielle will be the next tropical system to affect the United Kingdom.
Just a day later, Gabrielle will pass through the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and northern Scotland.
Late Wednesday night, increasingly breezy conditions can be expected in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with the strongest winds expected during the day on Thursday.
Wind gusts in these areas during the day on Thursday could reach 50 mph (80 km/h), especially on hill tops and windward-facing coasts. With gusts reaching this magnitude, several impacts like tree damage, power outages and transportation delays are all possible.
Following the soggy conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday as Dorian moves through, the wet loose soil may allow trees to topple more easily in the gusty winds.
Brisk conditions will continue in these regions into the evening before lessening late Thursday night.
Throughout the day on Thursday, most of the showers will be confined to Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England. Rainfall amounts are unlikely to surpass 25 mm (1 inch). The rest of the country will be dry.
The above image shows a true-color view of the tropical Atlantic from the GOES-EAST satellite Saturday midday, Sept. 7, 2019. (Photo/NOAA).
As AccuWeather predicted, tropical systems will be playing a role in the weather early this autumn. Long-range meteorologists at AccuWeather are predicting a slightly below-normal year in terms of named windstorms this winter.
On Friday morning, the UK Met Office released on twitter the list of windstorm names they will be using for the 2019-2020 season.
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