Storm Justine racing over western Europe
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jan 30, 2021 11:38 AM EST
Drivers navigated snowy roads on Jan. 28, as a winter storm hit Vladivostok, Russia.
A tumultuous weather pattern has brought an onslaught of storms to Europe in recent weeks that have led to severe flooding and rounds of heavy snowfall across the continent. That trend has continued into this weekend as AccuWeather meteorologists are currently monitoring a strengthening storm that is moving over western Europe.
This storm was given the name Justine by the Spanish Meteorological Agency on Wednesday. Impacts will include heavy rain and damaging wind through this weekend.
Rain from Justine arrived across southern Ireland, southern Wales and far southwestern England late in the day on Friday before spreading east across the United Kingdom and into France and northern Spain through the overnight hours as it moved toward the Bay of Biscay.
Residents across the southern parts of Ireland and the U.K., France and northern Spain can expect periods of rain to continue through Saturday night as Justine pushes across the region.
Rainfall in southern France can become heavy enough to bring 1-2 inches (25-50 mm) of rainfall with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches (125 mm), which can lead to areas of flash flooding.
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Enough cold air in the higher elevations of the Pyrenees and Alps mountain ranges can allow rain to mix with or even change over to snow into the weekend.
Another storm tracking across central Europe at the same time can bring cold air and accumulating snowfall to areas from eastern Germany and southern Poland into Ukraine.
"Travel can become difficult on any mountain passes in the Pyrenees and the French Alps where snowfall totals can climb to 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches (46 cm). Similar snowfall totals are expected in western Ukraine," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards.
Otherwise, snowfall totals of 1-3 inches (3-8 cm) will be common in lower elevations of the mountain ranges as well as from Germany to Ukraine.
Residents in the northern fringe of precipitation in the United Kingdom and France may see some wet snowflakes mixing with rain at times.
In addition to rain and snow, Storm Justine is forecast to bring gusty winds to western Europe as it sinks into France.
"Wind gusts of 50-60 mph (80-97 km/h) will occur across southwestern France, northeastern Spain and the northern coast of Spain," Richards stated. "Along the eastern half of the northern coast of Spain into far southwestern France wind gusts of 60-70 mph (97-113 km/h) will be possible."
The northern coast of Spain and far southwestern France will be the most likely location for the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ 85 mph (137 km/h) to occur.
Richards warned that strong wind gusts can lead to rough seas, coastal flooding, localized damage to buildings, downed trees and power lines as well as power outages.
A house is surrounded by flood waters at Bangor-on-Dee, Wales, after large parts of central and northern England and Wales were caught in the path of Storm Christoph, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. ( AP Photo Jon Super)
Storm Justine will track across Italy and pick up moisture from the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas by Sunday. This will help to fuel areas of heavy rain and mountain snow across the region and into the Balkan Peninsula into Monday.
Areas along the coast of the Balkan Peninsula and into the Dinaric Alps could report similar rain and snow totals as currently forecast across western Europe.
In the wake of Justine, yet another robust storm is forecast to arrive across western Europe, bringing more rain, wind and high elevation snow to the region into early next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Storm Justine racing over western Europe
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jan 30, 2021 11:38 AM EST
Drivers navigated snowy roads on Jan. 28, as a winter storm hit Vladivostok, Russia.
A tumultuous weather pattern has brought an onslaught of storms to Europe in recent weeks that have led to severe flooding and rounds of heavy snowfall across the continent. That trend has continued into this weekend as AccuWeather meteorologists are currently monitoring a strengthening storm that is moving over western Europe.
This storm was given the name Justine by the Spanish Meteorological Agency on Wednesday. Impacts will include heavy rain and damaging wind through this weekend.
Rain from Justine arrived across southern Ireland, southern Wales and far southwestern England late in the day on Friday before spreading east across the United Kingdom and into France and northern Spain through the overnight hours as it moved toward the Bay of Biscay.
Residents across the southern parts of Ireland and the U.K., France and northern Spain can expect periods of rain to continue through Saturday night as Justine pushes across the region.
Rainfall in southern France can become heavy enough to bring 1-2 inches (25-50 mm) of rainfall with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 inches (125 mm), which can lead to areas of flash flooding.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Enough cold air in the higher elevations of the Pyrenees and Alps mountain ranges can allow rain to mix with or even change over to snow into the weekend.
Another storm tracking across central Europe at the same time can bring cold air and accumulating snowfall to areas from eastern Germany and southern Poland into Ukraine.
"Travel can become difficult on any mountain passes in the Pyrenees and the French Alps where snowfall totals can climb to 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches (46 cm). Similar snowfall totals are expected in western Ukraine," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards.
Otherwise, snowfall totals of 1-3 inches (3-8 cm) will be common in lower elevations of the mountain ranges as well as from Germany to Ukraine.
Related:
Residents in the northern fringe of precipitation in the United Kingdom and France may see some wet snowflakes mixing with rain at times.
In addition to rain and snow, Storm Justine is forecast to bring gusty winds to western Europe as it sinks into France.
"Wind gusts of 50-60 mph (80-97 km/h) will occur across southwestern France, northeastern Spain and the northern coast of Spain," Richards stated. "Along the eastern half of the northern coast of Spain into far southwestern France wind gusts of 60-70 mph (97-113 km/h) will be possible."
The northern coast of Spain and far southwestern France will be the most likely location for the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ 85 mph (137 km/h) to occur.
Richards warned that strong wind gusts can lead to rough seas, coastal flooding, localized damage to buildings, downed trees and power lines as well as power outages.
A house is surrounded by flood waters at Bangor-on-Dee, Wales, after large parts of central and northern England and Wales were caught in the path of Storm Christoph, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. ( AP Photo Jon Super)
Storm Justine will track across Italy and pick up moisture from the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas by Sunday. This will help to fuel areas of heavy rain and mountain snow across the region and into the Balkan Peninsula into Monday.
Areas along the coast of the Balkan Peninsula and into the Dinaric Alps could report similar rain and snow totals as currently forecast across western Europe.
In the wake of Justine, yet another robust storm is forecast to arrive across western Europe, bringing more rain, wind and high elevation snow to the region into early next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo