A yellow weather warning is in place for Kent with wind gusts of more than 65mph set to batter parts of the county. The Met Office’s warning has been in place since a few minutes after midnight today (January 1).
Winds around the coast will see the strongest surges of up to 67mph, with inland speeds up to 59pmh. Travel could be affected on the road and railway, along with for those flying or taking ferries.
People are being advised to check their routes before heading out, whichever way they intend to travel. Yesterday evening (December 31), speed on the Dartford Crossing was brought down to 30mph.
People should also be aware there’s a chance of power cuts, flying debris, and material being thrown onto beach fronts by large waves, according to forecasters. The weather warning is in place until 3pm today.
As for rain, the Met Office said this for the South East: “Persistent, locally heavy and squally, rain spreads southeast from mid-morning and will last through much of the afternoon. Very windy, with gales likely, especially on coasts, easing through the day.”
What is a yellow weather warning?
The Met Office issues weather warnings, so everyone from residents to emergency responders know what weather is expected and the impact it could have. It describes what a yellow weather warning is: “Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations.
“Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places. Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted and so it is important to assess if you could be affected.
“Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower. It is important to read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning.”
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