2016–17 UK and Ireland windstorm season
The 2016–17 UK and Ireland windstorm season was the second instance of the United Kingdom's Met Office and Ireland's Met Éireann naming extratropical cyclones. Substantially less active than the previous season, the season succeeded the 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season and preceded the 2017–18 European windstorm season.
First storm formed | 19 November 2016 |
---|---|
Last storm dissipated | 3 March 2017 |
Strongest storm1 | Barbara – 949 hPa (28.0 inHg) |
Strongest wind gust | 106 mph (171 km/h; 92 kn) [1] Margate, United Kingdom.[2] (20 November) |
Total storms | 5 |
Total damage | ≥ £400 million (≥ €450 million) |
Total fatalities | 5 |
1Strongest storm is determined by lowest pressure and maximum recorded non-mountainous wind gust is also included for reference. ← 2015–16 2017–18 (Europe) → |
Background
In 2015, the Met Office and Met Éireann announced a pilot project to name storm warnings as part of the Name our Storms project for wind storms and asked the public for suggestions.[3] The meteorological offices produced a full list of names for 2015–16, common to both the UK and Ireland.[4] A new list of names was released on 19 September for the 2016–17 season.[5] Names in the UK will be based on the National Severe Weather Warning Service, when a storm is assessed to have the potential for an amber 'be prepared' or red 'take action' warning.[5]
- Angus (19–22 November 2016)
- Barbara (22–27 December 2016)
- Conor (23–29 December 2016)
- Doris (21–26 February 2017)
- Ewan (25 February–3 March 2017)
- Fleur (unused)
- Gabriel (unused)
- Holly (unused)
- Ivor (unused)
- Jacqui (unused)
- Kamil (unused)
- Louise (unused)
- Malcolm (unused)
- Natalie (unused)
- Oisin (unused)
- Penelope (unused)
- Robert (unused)
- Susan (unused)
- Thomas (unused)
- Valerie (unused)
- Wilbert (unused)
Seasonal summary
Comparison of strongest gusts associated with each storm in the UK and Ireland.
![](../I/94cecca8dfe1aff9f31d9b8f38f99e75.png.webp)
Storms
Storm Angus
Angus | |
---|---|
![]() MODIS image of Angus on 21 November 2016 | |
Date of impact | 19–22 November |
Maximum wind gust | 106 mph (171 km/h; 92 kn)[1] |
Lowest pressure | 965 hPa (28.5 inHg)[11] |
Fatalities | 2 |
Power outages | 1,000[1] |
Damage | ≥ £80 million (≥ €90 million)[12] |
Storm Angus was named on 19 November, with southern and southeast England, especially along the Channel coast expected to be the greatest affected areas as the storm moves northeast on 20 November.[13][5] The storm was known as "Nannette" in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.[14] Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, were hit with hurricane-force winds with the highest wind gusts since its 1990 record.[15]
The south-west of England was affected with over 1,000 power outages, mostly in Devon. Residents were evacuated due to flooding near South Molton, Devon. Further flooding was reported in Braunton, Bradiford, Devon, and East Bar, Swanage, Dorset. The high winds affected train service in the south-east, ferry crossing at the Port of Dover and the Brighton 10k run.[1]
The National Grid launched an investigation whether a ship's anchor damaged four of the eight cables of the Cross Channel high voltage interconnector during storm Angus, which would leave it only able to operate at half of its capacity until February 2017.[16]
A 39-year-old woman was found in the sea near Folkestone and was airlifted to hospital; she later died.[17] Russell Sherwood, aged 69, had been reported as missing on the day of the storm: a car was found upside-down in the River Ogmore with his body inside on 23 November.[18]
Storm Barbara
Barbara | |
---|---|
Date of impact | 22–27 December |
Maximum wind gust | 83 mph (134 km/h; 72 kn)[19] |
Lowest pressure | 949 hPa (28.0 inHg)[20] |
Fatalities | 0 |
Power outages | 1,000 in Northern Ireland[21] |
Damage | ≥ £80 million (≥ €90 million)[22] |
Storm Barbara was named on 20 December.[23][5] Approximately 1,000 homes were without power in Northern Ireland.[21] Part of a school roof was ripped off at Rhosgadfan near Caernarfon, Gwynedd, while hundreds of homes across Wales experienced power cuts.[24]
Storm Conor
Conor | |
---|---|
![]() MODIS image of Conor on 27 December 2016 | |
Date of impact | 23–29 December |
Maximum wind gust | 85 mph (137 km/h; 74 kn) |
Lowest pressure | 958 hPa (28.3 inHg) |
Fatalities | 0 |
Power outages | 1,000 |
Damage | ≥ £80 million (≥ €90 million)[22] |
Storm Conor was named three days after Barbara on 23 December[5] with mostly amber warnings for the Northern Isles and north Caithness on Boxing Day. Hundreds of homes across Scotland and The Shetland Islands experienced power cuts.[25]
Storm Doris
Doris | |
---|---|
![]() MODIS image of Doris on 23 February 2017 | |
Date of impact | 21–26 February |
Maximum wind gust | 73.7 mph (118.6 km/h; 64.0 kn)[2] |
Lowest pressure | 954 hPa (28.2 inHg) |
Fatalities | 3 |
Power outages | Almost 50,000 |
Damage | ≥ £160 million (≥ €180 million)[26] |
![](../I/Storm_Doris_damage_to_the_Lord_Kitchener%252C_New_Barnet_01.jpg.webp)
Storm Doris was named on 21 February and impacted Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands on 23 February 2017.
[27][28][29] A gust of 94 mph (151 km/h; 82 kn) was recorded at Capel Curig, Wales.[30] On its approach the storm strengthened considerably going through a process called bombogenesis,[31] wherein the central pressure of the system fell at a very fast pace; 24 hPa (0.71 inHg) of pressure in 24 hours to 974 hPa (28.8 inHg).[32][33]
A 32-year-old woman was killed in Swindon when blown with an empty pram into the road.[34] Another woman, Tania Martin, a 29-year-old, died in Wolverhampton when debris fell on her in the street. She was struck by a block of wood ripped off a water tank cover which had been untouched for years by the owners of the Mander Centre, who later had to pay £1m+ in damages to her family.[35][36] A man in his 80s died in hospital on 26 February after the car he was travelling in was crushed by a falling tree.[37] The Shropshire and Wolverhampton incidents were chronicled in the final episode of the second series of Ambulance, a BBC One documentary programme, the following October.[38][39]
A girl was seriously injured when a ceiling collapsed on her at the Southwood School in Milton Keynes.[40] On 23 February 2017, during high winds caused by Storm Doris, a Flybe plane (Flight 1284) from Edinburgh to Amsterdam crash landed on the runway at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol: the rear right landing gear collapsed but there were no injuries.[41]
The storm hit the Copeland constituency on polling day of the by-election, which some commentators suggested might reduce turnout.[42]
There was also snow and rain. Road, rail and air travel was disrupted and there were failures in power supply. The storm was described as a weather bomb.[43][44]
Storm Ewan
Ewan | |
---|---|
![]() MODIS image of Ewan on 28 February 2017 | |
Date of impact | 25 February – 3 March |
Maximum wind gust | 70 mph (110 km/h; 61 kn) |
Fatalities | 0 |
Power outages | Limited |
Damage | Unknown |
Storm Ewan was named by Met Éireann four days after Doris on 25 February and impacted Ireland on 26 February 2017.[45] Ewan failed to form a low pressure system and damage was limited in Ireland to strong winds on the south coast.[46]
Season effects
This table lists all known windstorms that affected the UK and Ireland during 2016–2017. It includes their name, duration, peak recorded gust (excluding mountain stations), lowest pressure, areas affected, deaths and damage totals from the two nations. All damage figures are in 2016 pounds sterling and euros. The 2016/17 storm season was described as relatively quiet by the reinsurance broker Aon Benfield's Impact Forecasting division in late February.[47]
Storm | Dates active | Highest wind gust | Lowest pressure | Casualties | Damages | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angus | 19 – 22 November | 106 mph (171 km/h; 92 kn) | 965 hPa (28.5 inHg) | 2 | ≥ £80 million (≥ €90 million) | |||
Barbara | 20 – 27 December | 83 mph (134 km/h; 72 kn) | 949 hPa (28.0 inHg) | 0 | ≥ £80 million (≥ €90 million) | |||
Conor | 23 – 29 December | 85 mph (137 km/h; 74 kn) | 958 hPa (28.3 inHg) | 0 | ≥ £80 million (≥ €90 million) | |||
Doris | 21 – 26 February | 118 mph (190 km/h; 103 kn) | 954 hPa (28.2 inHg) | 3 | ≥ £160 million (≥ €180 million) | |||
Ewan | 25 February – 3 March | 70 mph (110 km/h; 61 kn) | Unknown | 0 | Unknown | |||
Season Aggregates | ||||||||
5 windstorms | 19 November – 3 March | 118.6 mph (190.9 km/h; 103.1 kn) | 949 hPa (28.0 inHg) | 5 | ≥ £400 million (≥ €450 million) |
Storms named by other European meteorological services
![](../I/Storm_Egon_13_Jan_2017.png.webp)
During the 2016/17 winter 3 storms exceeded the Perils.org insured loss reporting threshold of €200 million, Egon, Thomas/Doris,[48] and Zeus.
|
(† Zeus was not named by a national meteorological agency but was widely used in French media, believed to be a misappellation of another low named by the Free University of Berlin charts.)
References
- "Cargo ship hits barge in Storm Angus". BBC News. 20 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- "03316: Crosby (United Kingdom)". G. Ballestor Valor. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- "Met Éireann Weather Warning System Explained". Met Éireann. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- "Nigel and Steve among new storm names". BBC News. 20 October 2015. Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- "UK Storm Centre". Met Office. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- "Storm Angus". Met Office. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- "Storm Barbara". Met Office. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- "Storm Conor". Met Office. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- "Storm Doris". Met Office. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- "Storm Ewan". Met Office. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- Bertelman, Magdalena (20 November 2016). "Thema des Tages – Archiv – NANNETTE fegt über Teile Deutschlands hinweg". www.dwd.de (in German). DWD. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- Global Catastrophe Recap November 2016 (PDF) (Report). Aon. 7 December 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- "Angus the first named storm of autumn 2016". Official blog of the Met Office news team. Met Office. 19 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- Brandt, Anders (20 November 2016). "Her ramte stormen 'Angus' med vindstød af orkanstyrke". vejr.tv2.dk (in Danish). TV2. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
- "Channel Islands battered by hurricane force winds overnight". ITV News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- Ward, Andrew (29 November 2016). "UK grid loses half the power from link to France". www.ft.com. Financial Times. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- "UK weather: Woman dies after being winched from the sea as Storm Angus batters Britain". The Daily Telegraph. 22 November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- "Storm Angus: Body found in search for pensioner after flood". Sky News. 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- "Storm Barbara – latest forecast & updates". 26 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- "Met Office Surface Analysis Chart". www.metoffice.com. MO. 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- "Power has been restored to customers hit by Storm Barbara". BBC News. 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- Global Catastrophe Recap December 2016 (PDF) (Report). Aon. 17 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- "Amber Storm Barbara warning for Scotland". BBC News. 20 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
- "Storm Barbara brings travel disruption to Wales". BBC News. 24 December 2016. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- "Disruption as Storm Barbara starts moving across Scotland". BBC News. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- Global Catastrophe Recap February 2017 (PDF) (Report). Aon. 8 March 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- "Storm Doris – Met Office Barometer". www.metoffice.gov.uk. Met Office. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- "Storm Doris 'weather bomb' brings snow, gales and travel disruption – live updates". Guardian. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- "Storm Doris: Almost 50,000 without power, air and rail passengers stranded as extreme wind and rain batter Ireland". Irish Independent. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- "Storm Doris winds reach 94mph in Wales". BBC News. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- "February's Storm Doris weather bombs Great Britain | NOAA Climate.gov". www.climate.gov. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "European windstorm Thomas/Doris could be costliest of season | Artemis.bm". Artemis.bm – The Catastrophe Bond, Insurance Linked Securities & Investment, Reinsurance Capital, Alternative Risk Transfer and Weather Risk Management Blog. 24 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- Di Liberto, Tom (1 March 2017). "February's Storm Doris weather bombs Great Britain". NOAA Climate.gov. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- Bond, Anthony (24 February 2017). "Young mum killed 'after Storm Doris winds blow her into road' and she is hit by road-sweeper". Mirror. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- "Storm Doris: Woman killed as UK hit by winds reaching 94mph". BBC News. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- Booth, Robert (23 February 2017). "Woman killed by falling debris as Storm Doris causes chaos across UK". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- "Man dies after tree fell on car during Storm Doris". BBC News. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- "Episode 8". BBC Online. BBC. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- Laws, Roz (11 October 2017). "BBC to screen moment paramedics arrived at the scene of Storm Doris death in Wolverhampton". Birmingham Mail. Trinity Mirror. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- "Girl seriously injured in sports hall ceiling collapse". BBC News. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- Calder, Simon; Pasha-Robinson, Lucy (23 February 2017). "Flybe plane crash lands on runway at Amsterdam Schipol airport". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- Elgot, Jessica (21 February 2017). "Storm Doris could blow away Labour byelection hopes, MPs fear". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- Storm Doris: Woman killed as UK hit by winds reaching 94mph Archived 24 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine BBC
- Storm Doris 'weather bomb': 94mph winds, travel chaos and snow – live updates Archived 23 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian
- "Storm Ewan to impact Ireland". Met Office. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- "Storm Ewan proves weaker than forecast as warnings withdrawn". Irish Times. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- "European windstorm Thomas/Doris could be costliest of season". Artemis.bm – The Catastrophe Bond, Insurance Linked Securities & Investment, Reinsurance Capital, Alternative Risk Transfer and Weather Risk Management Blog. 24 February 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- "Cyclone Thomas / Doris insured loss seen at EUR213m by PERILS | Artemis.bm". Artemis.bm – The Catastrophe Bond, Insurance Linked Securities & Investment, Reinsurance Capital, Alternative Risk Transfer and Weather Risk Management Blog. 6 April 2017. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- "Electricity companies race to restore power to 75,000 homes". Yle. 28 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- Rommetveit, Astrid (25 December 2016). "Ekstremværet Urd treffer Sør-Norge mandag" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- "Satellitenfilm Orkantief Axel Januar 2017". DWD via Youtube. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- "– Vannstanden blir enda høyere enn vi trodde". NRK. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- "Storm Egon leaves two dead, thousands without power". The Local Germany. The local. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- "Coupures d'électricité, rafales de vent : la tempête Leiv souffle sur le Sud-Ouest" (in French). Le Monde. 4 February 2017. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- "Stromausfälle, verwehte Autos, eine Tote: Wetterbombe sorgt für Chaos in Europa" (in German). FOCUS Online. 23 February 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- "Tempête Zeus: "Un hiver sans tempête, ça n'arrive jamais", explique un météorologue" (in French). 20minutes.fr. 6 March 2017. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- "Analysis 6 March 2017". Adopt-A-Vortex. Free University Berlin. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- "Losses Perils". Perils. Perils.org. 6 March 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2017.