Storm Jorge will hit the UK this weekend - here’s what to expect

Arriving just behind Ciara and Dennis, Storm Jorge is set to rock the UK in the coming days.

A number of weather warnings have been put in place around the UK, as high speed winds and powerful rains are forecast.

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Here’s everything we know so far about Storm Jorge and what to expect from the weather in the coming days.

When will Storm Jorge hit the UK?

The first effects of the storm will be felt in the UK in the early hours of Friday 28 February 2020, and will continue through most of the weekend.

Between Friday and Saturday, it appears that the storm will be likely to affect the whole of the UK in some form or another.

How bad is it expected to be?

Storm Jorge will bring heavy rain across the UK on Friday, with between 60mm and 80mm likely to fall in higher areas. Rain warnings have been put in place in both Wales and northern England, where the rain is likely to be heaviest.

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A rain warning has also been put in place for much of southwest England, for between 3am on Friday and 6am on Saturday.

The Met Office has warned that the downpour could lead to flooding and travel disruption in some areas.

Several areas in Wales are still dealing with the aftermath of storms Ciara and Dennis, which saw whole communities evacuated, causing an estimated £108 million worth of damage. If the rainfall is as heavy as predicted, it is possible that they will flood again.

Strong winds are then expected on Saturday, blowing in a south-westerly direction and affecting almost all of the UK, with only parts of northern Scotland likely to avoid them. Wind warnings are in place for southern Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and much of England.

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The Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen said, "Where warnings are in place gusts of 50-60mph are likely quite widely with 65-70mph possible in coastal areas, however the strongest and most damaging winds are expected across the Republic of Ireland.”

It is also expected to remain quite windy in Scotland throughout Sunday, although with wind speeds greatly reduced from the previous day.

Once the storm has passed, the weather is expected to remain cold with some rain, the possibility of more snowfall over the higher parts of the north and hail showers in much of the south.

Why is it called Storm Jorge?

The storm was named by the Spanish meteorological agency on Thursday (27 Feb) and is expected to land on UK shores over the weekend.

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This of course means that the name is pronounced ‘hor-hay’ rather than like ‘George’.

Those who are aware of the Met Office’s alphabetical storm-naming system may be wondering why, after Ciara and Dennis, we appear to have skipped a few letters to go straight to J.

Once one country’s meteorological agency has named a storm, it is conventional for any other country where it might arrive to continue using the same name. This makes it easier to track storms across the globe and prevents mix-ups occurring due to storms with multiple names.

Had the Met Office named the oncoming storm, it would have been called ‘Ellen’.

This article originally appered on our sister site, The i.