LONDON, UK – , 23 October (H.S.): The United Kingdom is bracing for a day of turbulent weather as Storm Benjamin is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds across England and Wales on Thursday.
The Met Office has issued multiple yellow weather warnings for rain and wind, cautioning that the storm could cause localized flooding, travel disruption, and minor damage.While the UK will experience a significant weather event, the most severe impacts of Storm Benjamin are expected across northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
For this reason, the storm was officially named by Météo France, the French national meteorological service. In the UK, the primary concerns are heavy rainfall and high winds.Rainfall A yellow warning for rain is in effect for much of southern and eastern England from midnight on Wednesday until 9:00 PM BST on Thursday.
Widespread rainfall totals of 20-30mm are expected, with some locations potentially receiving 30-50mm . There is a possibility of isolated downpours reaching up to 90mm in areas such as the East Midlands and East Anglia, increasing the risk of localized flooding.
Wind Several yellow wind warnings are also in place. One covers west Wales and south-west England from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM BST, with gusts of 45-55 mph anticipated. Another warning for eastern England is active from 3:00 AM Thursday until midnight, where winds could reach 50-70 mph.
The Met Office has warned of the potential for gusts to hit 75 mph along the North Sea coast for a brief period, which could topple trees, disrupt power, and cause travel delays .
Although the impacts in the UK are forecast to be less severe than on the continent, where orange-level warnings have been issued in parts of France, the naming convention is shared to ensure clear and consistent communication about the weather system. Storm Benjamin is the second major storm of the season, following Storm Amy in early October.
The next storm to be named by the UK’s group of meteorological agencies will be Bram.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
