Met Office reveals exact dates Hurricane Melissa after-effects will smash UK
Britain's weather will be influenced by the after-effects of the deadly Storm Melissa, forecasters have said, as the remnants of the deadly storm begin to sweep across the Atlantic
Remnants of Hurricane Melissa are set to slam into the UK in just a few days' time, forecasters have said.
Melissa has left dozens of people dead across the Caribbean over the past 48 hours and is currently heading towards Bermuda, where the government is warning citizens to "complete all hurricane preparations, stay off roads, and remain indoors" this evening.
In Jamaica, where wind speeds topped 187mph yesterday, authorities fear the true scale of the death toll may not be known for several days, as rescue efforts continue amid huge flooding, major routes blocked by debris and mass power outages.
Now, meteorologists say the storm could soon be influencing weather in Britain and northern Europe as its remnants move across the Atlantic.
A low-pressure system will bring some wet and windy conditions from the northwest late on Sunday, Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree said, though this is largely "business as usual" for autumn and is unlikely to be severe in nature.
He explained: “It looks like late on Sunday and into early Monday, a low-pressure system containing the remnants of what will then be ex-Hurricane Melissa will move across the far northwest of the UK.
“This appears to be a fairly typical autumn low-pressure system for the UK, introducing some milder air and bringing further spells of rain, which will be heaviest over western hills. There remains some uncertainty in the exact track of this low at this range, however it looks set to usher in further unsettled weather next week.”
It comes after the government announced it had chartered flights to help British nationals leave Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
British nationals should use commercial flights as their first port of call to leave the country, the Foreign Office said.
This comes after the Government yesterday announced it would support Jamaica with £2.5 million in emergency humanitarian funding, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing scenes from the country as “truly shocking”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a statement today: “The strong links between the UK and Jamaica mean many British nationals were there during the devastation of the hurricane, and we need to ensure they can get safely home, as we know how worrying and difficult the last few days will have been.
“The UK Government is chartering flights to bolster commercial capacity and ensure people who wish to return to the UK can do so as soon as possible.”
Two specialist Rapid Deployment Teams are travelling to Jamaica to facilitate the flights and provide consular assistance.