Britain could face a sharp change in weather next week as the after-effects of a powerful hurricane currently moving towards the United States reaches UK shores.
Hurricane Humberto, which reached the maximum Category 5 on Saturday, September 27, has sustained winds of up to 160mph. The storm is already sending huge swells across the North Atlantic, with US forecasters warning of “life-threatening” waves and rip currents along the East coast.
At the same time, a second system, Tropical Depression Nine, has formed in the Caribbean and is expected to strengthen to hurricane status as it moves towards the US.
A state of emergency has already been declared in South Carolina and North Carolina, while parts of Florida remain under tropical storm watches.
According to the BBC, the two storms could even produce a rare weather interaction known as the Fujiwhara effect.
This occurs when two hurricanes move close to one another, either merging into a larger, more powerful storm or repelling each other, causing abrupt changes in direction.
While the most dangerous impacts will be felt in the US, the UK is set to experience the ripple effects of Humberto as it weakens and tracks into the North Atlantic.
The Met Office confirmed in an update: “As Hurricane Humberto moves into the North Atlantic and loses its tropical characteristics, this will likely have an influence on the UK’s weather, with the potential for wet and very windy conditions around the first weekend of October.”
Forecasters cautioned that confidence in the outlook remains low due to the potential for further Atlantic tropical activity. However, more wet and windy weather is likely, especially in northern areas, while nights will start to feel chillier as autumn takes hold. Daytime temperatures, meanwhile, are expected to stay at or slightly above average.
Looking further ahead, the Met Office’s long-range forecast suggests October will continue the unsettled trend.
Between October 12 and October 26, the UK is expected to see “widely unsettled” conditions, with frequent spells of rain and wind affecting much of the country.
