Storm Doris: Damaging winds and heavy rain expected across Shropshire
Storm Doris is expected to bring damaging winds and heavy rain to Shropshire today.
Winds will pick up through this morning and into early afternoon as a deep low pressure system tracks across Northern Ireland and northern England.
An Amber National Severe Weather Warning has been issued for wind with gusts expected to reach 60-70 mph across Shropshire.
Chief Meteorologist Eddy Carroll said: “Storm Doris will bring damaging winds with some significant disruption likely to central parts of the UK on Thursday. People in the warning areas should be prepared for disruptive stormy weather, wind speeds in some locations could reach up to 80 mph so make sure you keep up to date with your local forecast and any weather warnings for your area.
“Friday will bring a welcome break from the unsettled conditions with some bright spells for many and much calmer winds after a cold start with a risk of icy patches. Saturday however will bring further wet and windy weather to the north west of the UK where the rain could be heavy and persistent.”
Drivers warned to be prepared
Drivers are being urged to be prepared before setting out on journeys after Highways England issued a severe weather alert.
With gusts of up to 70 miles per hour are expected on some roads, along with heavy rain and surface water. There is a particularly high risk to high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes.
Richard Leonard, Highways England’s Head of Road Safety, said: “We’re expecting Storm Doris to have a significant impact on the roads throughout the day tomorrow so are urging drivers to consider changing their plans if necessary and to slow down in stormy weather.
“Drivers should look out for warnings on the electronic message signs and listen for updates in radio travel bulletins. Our traffic officers will also be ready to respond to any incidents during Storm Doris, and we’re urging drivers to respond to the changing conditions on the road to stay safe.”
Disruption for train passengers
Train passengers may also face disruption with Network Rail imposing temporary speed restrictions on the West Coast main line and West Midlands routes.
With high winds forecast train services will be limited to 50mph for safety reasons between London Euston, Preston and Liverpool, from Marylebone to Birmingham and across the West Midlands, Network Rail said.
Mark Killick, chief operating officer for Network Rail’s London North Western route, said: “In light of the anticipated poor weather caused by Storm Doris, temporary 50mph speed restrictions will be imposed across sections of the West Coast route, the Chiltern line and the West Midlands.
“This may lead to delays on some services. The purpose of these speed limits is safety. Keeping passengers and railway staff safe is, as always, our top priority.
“Weather conditions will be continually monitored and if they change we will reevaluate our response.
“We’re deploying extra Network Rail staff to deal with any issues such as fallen trees, and overhead line issues with the aim of keeping people on the move."
