Storm Dudley crosses Scotland with fronts sweeping south-east across the UK

Storm Dudley was centred across Scotland at 1800 UTC on 16 February 2022, with fronts sweeping south-east across the UK, according to the Met Office analysis chart for that time¹. It was the first of three named storms to affect the UK within the space of a week, the first time this has occurred since storm naming was introduced in 2015/2016¹.

For Dudley, the strongest winds were in a swathe across southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and northern and eastern England, with gusts of 50 to 60Kt (58 to 69mph) in coastal locations and 40 to 50Kt (46 to 58mph) widely inland¹. Capel Curig (Conwy) recorded a gust of 70Kt (81mph)¹. The Met Office describes Dudley as notable but not especially unusual for the time of year¹. The storm resulted in loss of power for thousands of homes across parts of Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire, and rail lines heading north to Glasgow and Edinburgh were disrupted¹.

The two storms that followed were more severe. Storm Eunice, on 18 February 2022, was the most severe and damaging storm to affect England and Wales since February 2014, and two rare red warnings were issued for it¹. A gust of 106Kt (122mph) was recorded at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight, setting a new England gust speed record, exceeding the previous record of 103Kt (118mph) at Gwennap Head (Cornwall) on 15 December 1979¹. It was also the first time a red warning had been issued for wind covering south-east England, including London¹. Storm Franklin followed, with the analysis chart at 0000 UTC on 21 February 2022 showing it to the west of Scotland¹.

Across the three storms, 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. Around 400 properties were flooded, with severe flood warnings issued for several major rivers including the Severn¹. In Yorkshire, the River Wharfe burst its banks and the lines at Rotherham Central station were flooded¹.

Why it matters for households

The Met Office account sets out the practical effects of the three storms for households. Power cuts from fallen trees lasted several days for over a million homes, and the strong winds from Franklin hampered clean-up operations following Eunice¹. Transport disruption included cancelled trains, roads blocked by fallen trees, overturned lorries, cancelled flights and closed bridges and shipping lanes¹. Snow caused significant transport disruption in Scotland and northern England, with recorded depths on 19 February including 11cm at Oyne (Aberdeenshire) and 5cm at Copley (County Durham)¹. Rainfall over the nine days from 12 to 20 February 2022 exceeded 100mm widely across upland areas and 200mm across parts of Wales and the Pennines, and by 23 February West Yorkshire had already recorded 224% of the February 1991-2020 long term average rainfall¹. The Met Office's storms and snow guide covers household preparation for this kind of weather.

What happens next

The Met Office report was last updated on 24 February 2022 and gives no further dated steps¹.