Met Office issues yellow wind warning for '60-65 mph gusts' this weekend
Brisk northerly winds are on the way... ❄️🌨️☃️🏔️
Last updated 25th Jan 2019
Hold on to your hats, after a mild couple of days, the harsh winter weather looks set to return this weekend.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for blustery conditions as a deep area of low pressure is expected hit disrupting travel across Northern Ireland.
According to forecasters; "Strong northerly winds are expected to develop during Saturday night across Northern Ireland before easing during Sunday. Wind gusts of 50 mph are possible inland and 60-65 mph around coasts."
The north and west are expected to bear the brunt of the strongest winds.
The adverse weather could impact travel plans.
"Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Some roads and bridges may close"
"It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves"
The warning comes into effect from 21:00 Saturday lasting through until 12:00 Sunday.
The Met Office is yet to name a storm, but will do so if the low pressure system has the potential to cause amber “be prepared” or red “take action” warnings.
Northern Ireland experienced its first real taste of winter this week as temperatures plummeted across the country, bringing with it a mixture of sleet, snow and icy conditions.
What does February have in store? There is still some uncertainty in the long-range forecast, but the Met Office are predicting the current cold snap to last.
READ MORE: More wintry showers and sub-zero temperatures forecast for Northern Ireland next week
NORTHERN IRELAND WEEKEND FORECAST
Friday - Feeling mild with bright spells in the morning. Cloudy by afternoon with outbreaks of light rain moving eastwards. High 11°C / Low 5°C
Saturday - A cloudy but mostly dry start will give way to a wetter spell as rain moves eastwards, heavy in places - clearing to increasingly wintry showers and hill snow as northerly winds become strong with coastal gales. High 9°C / Low 3°C
Sunday - Very windy through Sunday with gales and wintry showers. Some bright spells. High 5°C / Low 2°C
Next week - Still some uncertainty for this period. Staying cold with overnight frosts, wintry showers and potential for some hill snow which could cause disruption, perhaps even to lower levels.
STORM NAMES FOR THE 2018/2019 SEASON
Storms are named by the Met Office or, in Ireland, Met Eireann, in order to raise public awareness of approaching bad weather.
In September, the Met Office and Met Éireann unvealed a list of the names of this seasons storms.
First introduced in 2015, this is the fourth year they have jointly run the ‘Name our Storms’ scheme, aimed at raising awareness of severe weather before it hits.
The first storm was ‘male’ and named Ali, while the second storm will be ‘female’ and named Bronagh, following the alternating male/female pattern established by the US National Hurricane Center in the 1970s.