Storm Otto to batter Britain: Met Office warns that first named storm of the season will bring powerful 75mph winds and rain tomorrow
- Yellow weather warnings are issued for Scotland other northern parts of UK
- Drivers have been advised to avoid travel if at all possible during dense fog
- Storm Otto will bring 40-50 mm of rain to fall over parts of western Scotland
Britons have been warned to brace for disruption from high winds and rain as Storm Otto approaches.
Gusts which could exceed 75mph are expected to batter parts of northern Britain from the early hours of Friday morning, hitting the whole of Scotland and a stretch of north and north-east England running from Sheffield to the Scottish border.
Yellow weather warnings have been issued for the affected areas, with the Met Office warning that high winds from the first named storm of the season will mean travel disruption.
Drivers are advised to avoid travel if at all possible during dense fog. If driving is essential, they are told to drive ‘very slowly with dipped headlights’ and use fog lights instead.
It comes after a days of misty conditions affected travel for early morning commuters, with yellow warnings of fog today and yesterday.
If driving is essential, they are told to drive ‘very slowly with dipped headlights’ and use fog lights instead. A soft pink sky is reflected in a misty River Frome in Wareham, Dorset today
Yellow weather warnings for wind have been issued for the affected areas, with the Met Office warning that high winds will mean travel disruption
The warning affects a large part of the northeast of England, from Middlesborough in the north to Skegness in the south.
The zone includes Lincoln, York, Ripon and Hull, stopping just to the south of Durham.
The warning lasts until 9am, when fog is expected to begin lifting.
The warning for Scotland runs from 3am to 3pm Friday and the north-east England warning is from 5am to 2pm.
The Met Office also said there is also a danger of large waves on the North Sea coast ‘as well as a chance of some damage to buildings and infrastructure’.
Workers are likely to be affected by the warning which lasts for ten hours from 5am to 3pm, potentially affecting roads, railways and ferries.
The Met Office advises to watch out for freezing fog, as this can quickly cause a layer of ice to develop.
The detailed warning for Scotland explains that there could be ‘injuries and danger to life from flying debris’ and ‘some damage to building, such as tiles blown from roofs’.
Gusts that could be above 75mph are expected to batter parts of the north of the UK from the early hours of Friday morning
It comes after a days of misty conditions affected travel for early morning commuters, with yellow warnings of fog today and yesterday
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: ‘Storm Otto will bring high winds and rain to the UK, with some northern parts of Scotland and the north-east of England likely to get the strongest gusts of wind, possibly in excess of 75mph. Warnings have been issued and could be updated as Storm Otto develops.
‘There’s a chance of travel disruption and high-sided vehicles could be particularly prone to disrupted plans in this set-up.
‘There’s associated rain with Storm Otto, with 40-50 mm of rain likely to fall over parts of western Scotland.’
While Storm Otto will bring disruption to the UK, Denmark is expected to get more severe weather on Friday afternoon, which is why it has been named by the Danish Meteorological Institute.
It added there was also a chance of ‘longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected’, adding: ‘High-sided vehicles may be particularly prone in this set-up.’
Otto is the first named storm to directly impact the UK since the current storm-naming season began in September 2022, with the first storm named by the Met Office this season will be Storm Antoni.
The storm – the first to be named this winter – has been labelled Otto by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and will move east across the far north of the UK from the early hours of Friday morning, bringing gusts in excess of 75mph.
Scotrail said on Twitter: ‘With very windy weather on the way, if you live by the railway please secure your garden furniture and items such as trampolines, to avoid them blowing onto tracks and disrupting services.’
Denmark is expected to bear the brunt of the storm on Friday afternoon, leading the Danes to name the system, which has now been adopted by the Met Office in line with the international storm-naming arrangements.
Otto is the first named storm to directly impact the UK this storm-naming season, which began in September.
The first storm named by the Met Office, or the Irish and Dutch weather services this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 storm name list.
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