Storm Bert a ‘multi-hazard event’ that will affect Preston weather into next week

Rain creating a risk of spray on a road in South Ribble. Pic: Blog Preston

Disruption is expected across Preston and the wider region into next week as a ‘slow-moving’ Storm Bert lands in the UK.

Multiple weather warnings are in place across the weekend with some areas of Preston subject to snow and rain alerts from 4am today (23 November) until 9am tomorrow (24 November). An updated warning has removed any threat of now and focused on the heavy rain lasting until 7am on Sunday.

Preston woke to high winds and heavy rain this morning with snow mostly confined to the eastern part of the county.

The Met Office forecast for Preston does have rain easing by Sunday morning, beginning again on Monday morning peaking around 6pm and continuing into Tuesday. High winds, meanwhile, are expected to persist well into Monday before easing on Tuesday.

The weather body states that the slow-moving nature of Storm Bert means that, while the warnings will likely clear, disruption is likely to continue. Strong winds will mean that the weather feels colder than it is.

Jason Kelly, Met Office chief meteorologist, said: “Heavy rainfall will affect much of the UK this weekend. Rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning across southwest and southern England, becoming particularly heavy and persistent overnight and into Sunday.

“Storm Bert is what we call a ‘multi-hazard event’, bringing snow, rain and wind to the UK for the majority of the weekend. Multiple National Severe Weather Warnings are in place and will be added to and amended over the weekend. It’s possible this may be at short notice, so it is important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast.”

Mark Nash, National Network Manager at National Highways, said: “With the arrival of Storm Bert it is important to plan ahead for your journey, and if weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care.

“A section of our website provides practical advice for travelling in storms, high winds and gales. It’s also a good idea for people to remember TRIP – Top-up your vehicle; Rest every two hours, Inspect tyres and lights and Prepare for the journey ahead.”

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