Storm Agnes, which is the first named storm for this season, was predicted to wreak havoc across much of the UK and Ireland from Wednesday 27th through to Thursday 28th.
The Exeter-based Met Office issued a yellow weather warning that will be active between 10am Wednesday 27th until 7am Thursday 28th morning. This storm brings strong winds and heavy rainfall, which has provoked the Met Office to even issue a ‘danger to life’ warning due to the potential of flying debris.
This warning covered much of Devon, however, Exeter appears to have escaped the brunt of the storm. This will come as a relief to many residents in the area, as some streets in Exeter fell victim to the severe flooding that took place almost a fortnight ago. Over 140 properties were flooded across Devon, according to the Devon County Council. One of the worst affected streets in Exeter was Longbrook Street, where many cars were damaged by the floods, and where some university students reside.
This warning covered much of Devon, however, Exeter appears to have escaped the brunt of the storm.
For Storm Agnes, however, much of the strength of the storm was predicted to be focussed further north in Devon, particularly by the coastal areas. Although the Met Office chief meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale, claimed that it is difficult to determine the exact direction that the storm will take, it seemed likely that coastal areas may face windspeeds of around 65-75mph, whereas inland areas might see 50-60mph wind speeds as the storm loses momentum over the land. Top speeds that are likely to be observed could reach as high as 80mph. These gale force winds could result in disruptions to travel, including by road and rail, as well as damage to buildings, and there was also the chance of power outages.
Scotland, northern England, Wales, and Northern Ireland saw the highest levels of rainfall. According to the Guardian, up to 60mm of rain was predicted to fall over the highest altitudes of Scotland. After the tail ends of hurricanes Lee and Nigel had dissipated, substantial amounts of rain had fallen, resulting in the widespread flooding that was observed in London and other parts of the country, including Exeter. Not long after the remnants of the hurricanes, Storm Agnes arrived on scene.
However, its impact on Devon, and particularly Exeter, was not predicted to be as severe, as the most powerful winds were expected on the Irish Sea. Western areas of the UK and Ireland are to be highly impacted. Despite the consistent rain before this storm arrived, much of the storm was predicted to be experienced in Devon as strong wind gusts.
