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It's Coming! Monday's Storm Now Almost Certain. Be Prepared.

26th October 2013

New - See our live, as it happens report on the storm. Trees down, Power cuts reported.

Met Office weather warnings map

Met Office map showing areas where Yellow and Amber warnings of wind and rain are in place.

Hope that Monday's storm will pass below us over the English channel is almost gone as the St. Jude storm continues to form as predicted. The storm will almost certainly begin to hit the West coast of England late Sunday night, at first bringing heavy rain which could cause surface flooding.  Flooding could happen quite quickly due to already wet ground.

See our latest advice on what to do to prepare for this storm

By the early hours of Monday morning, strong winds with gusts over 80 mph will hit Southern England, Southern Wales and East Anglia possibly causing trees to fall. Trees are late loosing their leaves this year which means that they are in more danger than they would be if they had shed their leaves. Wet ground also makes trees more likely to fall.  If winds are as strong as predicted when they arrive, we should all be very careful, falling trees, particularly during day light hours can obviously be very dangerous.

Winds and falling trees could also cause damage to structures, telephone lines and power cables. There is a very real danger of loss of power if the winds do reach the expected intensity.

What should we do?

Don't panic but do take it seriously... our advice is to stay indoors during the storm.  Restrict travel to all but essential travel, and make sure older or more vulnerable family and friends are aware of the storm, and are safe.

Perhaps check your garden for loose items that could become dangerous if they are swept away by the wind. The less debris flying about, the better for everyone.

History has shown us that injury and loss of life in storms like this do happen, but you are far safer indoors than outdoors.  If conditions get severe, do not be tempted to go out and try to get video and photos, do not make unnecessary journeys on foot or by car.

Most importantly, keep up to date with the weather forecast.  There is always a chance that the situation could change, so keep yourself up to date so that you know what to expect. Hit the 'Like' button on our Facebook page to get regular updates on your Facebook news feed.

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