UK weather: Britain to be hit by 23 storms by the end of 2018 - forecast latest

AUTUMN is just around the corner but with the changing season comes the threat of worsening weather - as 23 storms are set to batter Britain.

Autumn brings darker mornings and cooler temperatures, leaves change colour and the warm temperatures of the summer feels like a distant memory.

Even more so this year will Britons be pining for the heatwave conditions summer 2018 brought, as 23 storms are predicted to hit the country across autumn and winter. 

A long-range AccuWeather forecast predicted between 17 to 23 storm will hit the UK during Atlantic storm season. 

Atlantic storm season begins in September this year and lasts until May 2019. 

This is in-line with the first day of Autumn beginning in Britain on Sunday, September 23. 

AccuWeather forecast Tyler Roys told the Daily Star: “In terms of storms impacting Europe, we are calling for a normal year.

“The average number of storms for Europe during this period is 33, for the UK it is 22.

“These averages are calculated from the 1998/99 season to 2016/17 season.”

The forecaster said that most of these storms will hit during the winter and early spring, particularly between January and March. 

He added: “This was a flip from last year when it was more active the first half of the season compared to the second half.”

John Hammond, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said it is “impossible” to be



absolute about the number of storms which will hit the UK over autumn and winter.

However, he said, “there will undoubtedly be some stormy periods” dependent on the strength and position of the jet stream.

The jet stream’s air currents play an important role in Britain’s storm season and indeed transport weather systems around the world.

Mr Hammond said current sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean will also play a role in deciding the intensity and size of storms to hit the UK.

The weather expert said: “Atlantic seas are especially warm to our southwest across to the eastern seaboard of the States at the moment.

“This may allow powerful hurricanes and tropical storms to drift further north than usual in the next few weeks. How these interact with the jet stream will be crucial to our autumn weather.

“It may be that they contribute to a very volatile jet stream; and whilst this raises the possibility of storms being catapulted across the Atlantic in our direction this autumn, where these ex-hurricanes end up is impossible to predict at this range.”

This comes as storm Helene is heading for the UK, set to bring 80mph winds and heavy rain to the west side of the country. 

Predicted to hit on Monday, the Met Office has issued a Yellow Warning for western areas. 

Debris may fly and power face outages in the worst-hit areas, whilst the rest of the UK may feel intensified winds and rainy spells.