Storm Kathleen has caused about 70 flights to be cancelled across UK airports due to the yellow weather warning for wind by the Met Office. Rail and ferry services have also been affected, with the elimination of the Aer Lingus services departing from the Northern Ireland Belfast City Airport, P&O Ferries cancellation of ferry services between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland, and the flawed ship travel to and from Isle of Man. Scotland has experienced the UK’s strongest gusts of wind, with speeds of up to 98mph at Cairngorm, a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.
In the meantime, the Met Office has warned of “large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts” in response to the stormy situation caused by the storm. Although winds of 50-60mph are expected across the UK on Saturday, coastal regions in the Irish Sea have experienced winds of up to 69mph and large waves. As stated by Ellie Glaisyer, the Met Office meteorologist, the positioning of the storm towards the west of the UK has brought southerly winds across the country, leading to warmer temperatures from the continent with the heat possibly reaching 22C, the highest temperature recorded so far this year.
Apart from air, rail and ferry services, the sports industry has also been affected, with the rearrangement of the Saturday evening’s EPCR Challenge Cup rugby match between Edinburgh Rugby and Aviron Bayonnais from Hive Stadium to Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium. More than 110 flood alerts have been placed across England, as the Environment Agency has issued 14 flood warnings. Meanwhile, RAC Breakdown advises people to stay away from exposed coasts and higher routes where the impact of the very strong winds is most likely to be felt, as this storm period poses intense challenges for all drivers on the western side of the UK.
Storm Kathleen, the 11th named storm in eight months, will bring strong gusts of wind predominantly felt by the north-west and south-west of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Irish meteorological service, Met Éireann, named the storm Kathleen, given that it is expected to affect the Republic of Ireland the most acutely. These strong winds and warm temperatures will be expected to ease out by Sunday evening
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