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Storm Gerrit is all set to ravage the UK as a deluge of snow, gales, and heavy rain is predicted to descend on December 27, 2023, following Christmas.
The storm, christened Storm Gerrit by the UK's Met Office, will bring strong winds and heavy rains to many parts of the UK. The Met Office has cautioned all those who will be driving back home after the holidays to drive slowly and to be wary of the winds, the BBC reported.
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings in many parts of the UK. On their website, Met Office Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said:
“Storm Gerrit will run towards western UK on Wednesday and bring with it potential impacts for much of the UK. Winds across southern coastal areas of England will be strong, possibly peaking around 70 mph on exposed coastlines, but more widely around 50-60 mph within the warning area.”
The Met Office has urged citizens to keep themselves updated about the current weather warnings as they indicate possible power cuts, transport disruptions, and flooding in certain areas.
Storm Gerrit will bring unsettled weather that is most likely to continue till the end of the week.
Storm Gerrit's name explored: How are storms named in the UK?
On December 26, 2023, the Met Office announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the new storm said to cross the UK was named Storm Gerrit.
This puts forth an interesting question: why and how are storms named?
According to the Met Office website, the "Name Our Storms" campaign was first started in 2015. Storm Abigail, an extratropical cyclone that tumbled through Scotland on November 10, 2023, was the first storm named by the Met Office.
Since then, the Met Office has issued a set of names each September that runs alphabetically, excluding the alphabets q, u, x, y, and z to remain in line with the US National Hurricane Center naming conventions.
The storms are named to facilitate easier communication and raise awareness among the public. The Met Office website stated that it helps to “provide consistent, authoritative messaging in times of severe weather." A storm is usually named when it has the potential to cause destruction, resulting in a red alert.
As per Yahoo! News, Will Lang, the head of situational awareness at the Met Office, stated:
“We know from seven years of doing this that naming storms works.”
In an interesting twist, the Met Office opens up the names of the storms to the public. Each year, people are encouraged to submit names for the storms, which will be shortlisted and chosen by the Met Office, Met Éireann (the Irish Meteorological Service), and KNMI (the Dutch National Weather Forecasting Service).
This year, the Met Office has chosen the name Gerrit for its newest storm. The decision to name Storm Gerrit stems from the fact that this particular storm followed the holiday season, with a large swarm of people expected to drive, fly, or use trains to travel. According to Sky News, Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said:
"Due to the extent of the warnings that are being issued, it was deemed that a named storm would be a good idea because it will highlight to the public the risk associated."
He also added that it was "likely to be quite a busy day on the roads with people travelling back home from Christmas."
People warned of "potentially hazardous conditions" as Storm Gerrit hits the UK on Wednesday
People in the UK brave Storm Gerrit after being warned of "potentially hazardous conditions" by the Met Office.
Storm Gerrit wreaks havoc in Scotland, causing strong winds and blizzards. Heavy traffic strands people on the snowy roads of Scotland, with cars struggling to get through on the A9 at Dalnaspidal, Perth, and Kinross.
According to Sky News, Wales is under warning to expect heavy rains due to Storm Gerrit, as well as in central and northwestern England. According to the map released by the Met Office, only the central section of the UK does not have any weather warnings in place.
Trains, ferries, flights, and cars alike are severely affected by Storm Gerrit. Trains have been delayed across England, Wales, and Scotland. Eighteen flights have been cancelled at Heathrow Airport.
Network Rail Scotland has warned its passengers of speed restrictions being enforced. As per Sky News, ScotRail customer operations director Phil Campbell said:
"Unfortunately, we expect disruption to our services due to the adverse weather, and customers can expect some changes to their journeys. We will be working closely with our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland to ensure we are able to keep people moving as much as possible, but customers should also expect that their journeys will take longer than usual, and there could be some cancellations."
The Met Office urged people to stay safe and drive carefully in the areas predicted to expect winds, saying, "Wind warning areas can expect gusts of 50-60mph, with up to 70mph on high ground and exposed coasts." Winds are expected to last until Thursday morning in Wales and England.
Storm Gerrit is the seventh name on 2023/24's list of storm names, as approved by the Met Office. The storm still rages on at the time of writing.
