UK: More wet, windy weather this week following Storm Freya

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Storm Freya brought widespread travel disruption to the United Kingdom on Sunday, and more unsettled weather is expected this week.

A peak wind gust of 76 mph (122 km/h) was reported as Freya battered Mumbles, Wales, on Sunday.

Flooding closed some roadways in Wales and England while a heavy burst of snow caused slippery travel and accumulated 6 cm (2.4 inches) in Cumbria.

While conditions improved on Monday, another storm will bring rain and gusty winds to the U.K. into Wednesday.

This storm is not expected to be as powerful as Storm Freya; however, it has been named Storm Laura by Spain's meteorological agency.

Despite damaging winds being localized, travel disruption will still be a widespread concern.

The heaviest rainfall is expected Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and may result in significant morning commute delays to all forms of transportation.

Downpours may strike during the morning commute in London, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh.

Strong winds will accompany the rain across Wales, the Midlands and Southern England, raising the risk for local power outages and downed trees.

Coastal locations of southern and eastern England will be at risk for frequent wind gusts of 40-50 mph (65-80 km/h), with a few gusts as high as 60 mph (97 km/h).

As the storm lifts northward on Thursday, strong winds may batter the east coast of Scotland while blustery weather prevails across the rest of the country along with a few showers.

Yet another round of wet, windy weather is forecast from Friday afternoon into Sunday.

Rain may dampen Northern Ireland Friday afternoon before spreading across Northern England and Scotland Friday night with showers farther south.

Wind gusts of 40-50 mph (65-80 km/h) will be possible across Northern Ireland, Northern England and Scotland on Saturday.

The risk for locally damaging winds will shift southward from Saturday night into Sunday as Wales and England brace for impacts ranging from travel disruption to power cuts and tree damage.

RELATED:
United Kingdom Weather Center
MinuteCast® for your location
Interactive United Kingdom weather radar

Another round of downpours will spread throughout the entire U.K. Saturday night into Sunday in addition to the strong winds.

While travel-disrupting winds will be the most widespread threat from the stormy weather this week, the repeated rounds of rainfall will raise the threat for flooding as well.

Areas most at risk for flooding will be from southwestern England to Wales, northwestern England and Scotland.

The numerous downpours will total 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) of rainfall this week, with local amounts up to 100 mm (4 inches).

Looking ahead to next week, unsettled weather is forecast to continue with multiple chances for rain and strong winds.