Live: St Jude storm set to batter Britain

By agreenerlifeagreenerworld on October 27, 2013 • ( Leave a comment )

Is this what’s set to hit Britain in the next 24 hours?

By Anders Lorenzen

A storm named St Jude – after the patron saint of lost causes whose feast day is coming up this coming Monday – is set to hit England and Wales on Sunday night; arriving from the Atlantic Sea in the South West of England and Wales before moving North East across the country, and on via the North Sea to Germany and Denmark. Wind speeds of more than 80 mph are likely to bring down trees and heavy rain could create localised flooding.The storm is thought to be of similar strength to the previous ones that hit Britain in October 2000, January 2007 and March 2008, however, despite early fears, is unlikely to be as powerful as the notorious the Great Storm of 1987.

Extreme weather on the rise

Climate scientists are warning us that, despite the fact we can’t connect any singular weather event to climate change per se, extreme weather events are likely to become more powerful and frequent over time. Year on year we have seen an increase in extreme weather events across the globe, a trend that is showing no sign of abating.

Live reactions

13:00 GMT: UK Prime Minister David Cameron:

I’ve just chaired a call with various Govt depts & agencies to hear about all the plans to ensure people are protected from tonight’s storm.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) October 27, 2013

14:20 GMT: Michael Fish, the veteran weather forecaster who in 1987 infamously said prior to the Great Storm of 1987: “Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way… well, if you’re watching, don’t worry, there isn’t!” It turned out to be the worst storm to have hit the South East of England causing record damage and killed 18 people. Today Fish proclaimed that the St Jude storm would not be as severe as the Great Storm of 1987.

14:30 GMT: A tree has come down in South London:

The #storm is taking effect in #Streatham. A tree has come down across Garrad’s Rd. @ChukaUmunna in attendance. #wind pic.twitter.com/rEHrTf5qsz
— Martin Abrams (@Martin_Abrams) October 27, 2013

14:50 GMT: Met Office graphic showing when the storm is predicted to hit:

15:30 GMT: Is it time to say goodbye to your favorite tree?

With so many still in full leaf, I fear in tonight’s storm we may say goodbye to many trees that make our local landscapes. #RIPtrees
— Andrew Simms (@AndrewSimms_uk) October 27, 2013

18:40 GMT: Could the storm create new wind power records? Denmark’s wind turbines are currently producing 3.3 gigawatts of wind powered electricity and the UK wind turbines even more and that’s before the storm has hit:

More wind energy than gas powering the grid right now! pic.twitter.com/y9KnLy1Ec5
— Bruce Davis (@oikonomics) October 27, 2013

00:15 GMT: BBC are reporting 61mph winds recorded in Plymouth.

13:05 GMT: St Jude have now left the UK causing moderate damage, but far from the damage that the Great Storm of 1987 caused. Unfortunately two people have lost their lives in both instances the cause have been falling trees. A 17 year old girl died after a tree hit the mobile home she was sleeping in, while another fell on the top of a car killing a man in his 50’s.

13:10 GMT: At present it’s estimated around 200 trees has come down.

13:15 GMT: The top wind speed recorded was 99mph which was recorded at the Isle of Wight. In general the storm carried wind speeds of 80mph.

13:20 GMT: 270.000 homes are said to be without power after damage to power lines caused by falling trees.

13:25 GMT: A nuclear power station in Kent, the Dungeness B have had to resort to diesel rectors to power the plant after both it’s reactors shut down due to a power cut.

13:30 GMT: A gas explosion in Hounslow, west London caused three homes to collapse. Three people have been taken to Hospital.

13:35 GMT: A crane had collapsed on top of a roof in a Whitehall Cabinet Office in Central London prompting an evacuation of the building.

13:45 GMT: The storm has now made landfall in Denmark. It’s the worst storm to have hit the Scandinavian country in eight years.

13:50 GMT: Earlier it also made landfall in Holland and are expecting to reach Norway and Sweden later who have upgrade it’s storm warnings.

13:55 GMT: Back in the UK, two people remain unaccounted for in relation to the gas explosion in Hounslow.

16:20 GMT: The UK dead tally is now up-to four after two people have been confirmed dead at the gas explosion in Housnlow.

16:25 GMT: Denmark have recorded it’s highest ever wind speeds at 120mph. This is 21mph higher than record in Britain which was at 99mph recorded in the Isle of Wight.

Liveblog has now been wound up.

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