EXCLUSIVE: Storm Benjamin 'threat to life' warning for SEVEN key counties with horror 70mph winds
Essex, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, North Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire and Humberside are all set to see the highest winds with surrounding counties also feeling the effects of Storm Benjamin
Storm Benjamin could see a threat to life as eight counties across the country are set to be hit with wind gusts of up to 70mph.
This week's storm could be incredibly dangerous, and it's better to stay home and take precautions, a weather expert has told the Mirror. British Weather Services' issued a rare Amber weather warning, meaning a danger to life, for Thursday this week.
MeteoFrance named the weather system Storm Benjamin, which is currently over the north of Spain, they said. It's expected to make landfall in the UK from about 6pm tonight.
British Weather Services' senior meteorologist Jim Dale told the Mirror about the weather alert. He said: "It's Yellow [alerts] in places, but amber is the one that we're seeing. In other words, there is a threat to life in certain places, given the strength of the winds, and with all of the intensity of rain as well.
"It starts off at 6pm this evening into the Southwest. That's where the centre of Benjamin will go. And then it will travel basically across southern counties of England through London, and eventually out East Anglia way; so Norfolk, Suffolk way and out into the North Sea.
"As it does so, the winds are going to be strong on its forward edge, less so in the middle of it, more so on the back edge. So the winds go from the northerly quarter; those winds could well be 60 to 70mph gusts. Trees in leaf are still - for the most part - dangerous. We have dangerous conditions now in East Anglia, Essex, Kent, and I've got to include some of London in that as well.
"But equally, even if you push more north and west, there's still going to be 50 to 60mph gusts across the home counties, Dorset, and even upwards towards Hull, as well as through the Midlands. So you can imagine that arc as it goes through, the worst of it being in the southeast of the UK.
"I think particularly Essex, Kent, East Anglia, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and perhaps upwards to Humberside [can expect the most dangerous conditions] because that's the back edge coming in through tomorrow morning. That's when you can see the 60-70mph gusts quite comfortably."
A Met Office spokesman added: "Friday will be a day of sunny spells and heavy, blustery showers for many. These will gradually ease later in the day, although winds will remain strong, with coastal gales likely, particularly in the east and northeast.
"It will turn colder over the weekend as an Arctic Maritime airmass spills southwards in the wake of Storm Benjamin. There will be a mix of sunny spells and blustery showers which are likely to be wintry over mountain tops in Scotland; this is fairly typical for this time in the year. Sunday may offer a brief window of drier and brighter conditions before rain later."