UK 'weather bomb' approaches: Freezing cold and 80mph winds to start 'worst winter in 100 years'

• 09 December 2014 12:21 PM
• Ian Hughes

Incoming :The sea swell as it heads towards the UK 

Forecasters fear storms developing in the Atlantic could uproot trees, tear tiles off roofs and knock out power supplies

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 New pictures show a "weather bomb" approaching that looks set to bring hurricane-force winds to the UK ahead of what could be the worst winter in a century.

Forecasters fear storms developing in the Atlantic could uproot trees, tear tiles off roofs and knock out power supplies.

A dramatic image from Magicseaweed.com shows a gigantic sea swell making its steady way towards Britain - bringing with it a risk of very large waves in coastal regions.

Wind speeds could hit 80mph and temperatures in some areas of the north may plunge to -9°C.

Weather bomb: Map showing the swell in the sea around the UK 

 The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for near hurricane-force gales across northern and central Britain with strong gusts everywhere. The rapid cyclogenesis - known colloquially as a "weather bomb" - is a deep low pressure system moving slowly eastwards between Scotland and 

More southerly areas of the country are likely to be hit by a second storm, due to roll in from the Atlantic Ocean on Friday.

Chief forecaster Eddy Carroll said: “Severe gales may affect much of North Wales, northern England [and] Scotland on Wednesday and at first on Thursday with a risk of storm force winds for parts of Western and Northern Scotland.

See what happened when the first icy blasts hit Cumbria

 

"Waves will be unusually high. Frequent wintry showers will also affect these regions.”

The winds today in Scotland are expected to whip up unusually high waves, with spray and over-topping bringing a risk of flooding to coastal roads and causeways.

Much of Scotland has already seen snowfall and heavy rain could lead to issues where snow has already fallen.

Piers Corbyn, of WeatherAction, said: “We are expecting at least three weeks of very cold, severe weather.

 "The country should be prepared for disruption.”

Weathermen said the north will be freezing at night all week with bitter winds making it feel close to -9°C on high ground.

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The south will rarely top 2°C for days.

Last month, forecasters predicted Britain could be bracing itself for the coldest winter for 100 years.

Weather experts claiming to have studied air flows in the upper atmosphere said a jet stream that usually holds extreme weather over the North Pole is weak this year.

Cold set: The three-day forecast 

 

And that could open the UK to a freezing influx of air - similar to what happened in 1947 when average temperatures plummeted to -2.7°C.

Readings so far this year point to similar conditions to the winter of 2009/10 – the coldest for 31 years – it is claimed.

But temperatures over the next few days are actually not much colder than usual for this time of year, according to Meteogroup forecaster George Goodfellow - but the brisk winds will bring a distinctive chill to the air.

Travel: A snow plough clears the way after heavy snow 

"We are looking at highs of up to 12 degrees in some western areas today, and even 10 degrees in the South East tomorrow, but the strong winds will make it feel fairly nasty," he said.

Despite the cold snap, forecasters could not firmly predict snow on Christmas Day.

Bookies William Hill gave it odds of 3/1 in Aberdeen; 3/1 Edinburgh; 5/1 Manchester; 5/1 Newcastle; 6/1 Bristol; 6/1 Cardiff; 6/1 London; 6/1 Norwich.