Fronts bring further strong winds and heavy rain across England and Wales with storm Franklin approaching from the mid-Atlantic

The Met Office analysis chart at 1200 UTC on 19 February 2022 showed fronts bringing further strong winds and heavy rain across England and Wales, with storm Eunice located over the Baltic and storm Franklin approaching from the mid-Atlantic¹. The chart at 0000 UTC on 21 February showed Franklin to the west of Scotland¹. Three named storms affected the UK within the space of a week, the first time this had occurred since storm naming was introduced in 2015/2016¹.

Eunice, which tracked rapidly east across England on 18 February, was the most severe and damaging storm to affect England and Wales since February 2014¹. Two rare red warnings were issued for it, and it was the first time a red warning had been issued for wind covering south-east England, including London¹. A gust of 106Kt (122mph) at Needles Old Battery on the Isle of Wight set a new England gust speed record, exceeding the previous record of 103Kt (118mph) at Gwennap Head, Cornwall, on 15 December 1979¹. Other maximum gusts included 78Kt (90mph) at Isle of Portland (Dorset), 76Kt (87mph) at Mumbles Head (West Glamorgan), 73Kt (84mph) at Aberdaron (Gwynedd) and 72Kt (83mph) at Pembrey Sands (Carmarthenshire) and Chivenor (Devon)¹.

Four people died in the UK and Ireland as a result of falling trees, and over a million homes were left without power as strong winds brought down trees, with ongoing power cuts lasting several days¹. Schools and businesses were closed across Wales and the worst affected areas of England¹. The Port of Dover was temporarily closed to all shipping, and the Humber bridge and both Severn bridges were closed for the first time in their history¹. Several hundred flights in the UK were cancelled¹.

The Met Office reported that the persistent heavy rain through the spell brought significant flooding problems in parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with around 400 properties flooded and severe flood warnings issued for several major rivers including the Severn¹. More than 100mm of rain fell widely across upland areas, and over 200mm across parts of Wales and the Pennines, over the nine days from 12 to 20 February¹. By 23 February, West Yorkshire had already recorded 224% of the February 1991-2020 long term average rainfall¹. Snow caused significant transport disruption in Scotland and northern England, with depths on 19 February including 11cm at Oyne (Aberdeenshire) and 5cm at Copley (County Durham)¹.

Franklin was a particularly severe storm across Northern Ireland and parts of north-west England, with gusts of 68Kt (78mph) at Orlock Head (County Down), 66Kt at Magilligan and Lough Fea (both County Londonderry) and 65Kt (75mph) at St Bees Head, Cumbria¹. The Met Office says the strongest winds were particularly sustained for Franklin, with winds gusting at over 40Kt for a 36 hour period from midnight on 20 February to mid-day on 21 February, peaking in the early hours of the 21st¹. The strong winds from Franklin hampered clean-up operations following Eunice¹.

Why it matters for households

The Met Office account sets out the practical effects of the three storms for households in the affected areas. Power losses from Eunice affected over a million homes, with ongoing power cuts lasting several days¹. Storm Dudley resulted in loss of power for thousands of homes across parts of Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire¹. Transport disruption included cancelled trains, roads blocked by fallen trees and overturned lorries, for example on the M4 in south Wales¹. Flooding affected around 400 properties, and severe flood warnings were issued for several major rivers including the Severn¹. The Met Office notes that severe coastal flooding in the Bristol Channel was avoided¹. The Met Office's guide to driving in strong winds and its storms and snow hub cover wind and snow hazards.

What happens next

The Met Office report, last updated on 24 February 2022, records the passage of Franklin to the west of Scotland at 0000 UTC on 21 February and its maximum gust speeds on 21 to 22 February¹. No further warnings or subsequent developments are reported in the document.