Wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour and 30 millimetres of rain are expected to hit Exeter this Sunday and Monday.
Image credit: Josh Irwandi
The weather front, named the St Jude Storm, is expected to intensify as it heads towards the South West of the country, originating from the Gulf of Mexico and across the Atlantic.
The predicted conditions are even more severe than the storm of 1987 which caused country-wide chaos.
Speaking to the Express and Echo, Leon Brown, from The Weather Channel, said: “These winds may bring down trees and cause structural damage, so batten down the hatches. There will also be some heavy rain with 15 to 30mm likely as the low pressure system moves rapidly east.
“The detail and timing may yet change since the storm has 5000 miles to develop and spin up. We could also see double the amount of rain fall that we normally see for the entire of the month, increasing the risk of flooding in areas which are already saturated.”
Following the flash flooding in Cardiff earlier this week, the Environment Agency has warned of potential flooding in the South West.
St Jude, named after the patron saint of depression and lost causes, has the potential to make reading week exactly that as people are forced indoors. Whilst travel plans may be disrupted for some, Australian student Amy Farrugia, currently on her year abroad, is “excited.” Amy said: “I can’t wait to see what St Jude’s got – if she’ll compare to Australian storms.”
Whilst temperatures are expected to remain higher than normal, heavy rain is predicted for the entire week.
Sarah Gough, News Team
Follow @ExeposeNews on Twitter and like us here on Facebook.
exeposedev 