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- Post-tropical storm Katia - September 2011
Post-tropical storm Katia - September 2011
In early September Hurricane Katia was forecast to cross the Atlantic and reach the UK as a post-tropical storm, causing widespread strong to severe gale force winds and heavy rain in parts. Accurate forecasts from the Met Office and frequent updates on the progress of the storm helped people in affected areas to prepare and stay safe.
What happened
As forecast, a deep area of low pressure which contained post-tropical storm Katia reached the UK on Monday 12 September, bringing severe gales and heavy rain to Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland.
In line with our forecast, Scotland and Northern Ireland bore the brunt of the storm, with widespread wind speeds of 60 - 70 mph and gusts of up to 98 mph in the most exposed mountainous areas. There was also heavy rain in parts of Scotland, which resulted in localised flooding in some areas of Central Scotland.
What we did
| Timeline | |
|---|---|
| 8 September | We advised that a deep low pressure which contained tropical storm Katia was expected to approach the UK and stormy weather was likely over the coming days. |
| 9 September | We issued a yellow severe weather alert for strong to severe gale force winds for parts of the UK for the 12 and 13 September. The Met Office briefed emergency responders, fire and police officials across the affected areas, providing them with up to date advice on expected weather conditions. We provided updates throughout the day on the progress of the storm on our website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Watch our forecast below. |
| 10 September | Parts of the UK were placed on amber severe weather alert for 12 September and advised to be prepared. We continued to brief emergency responders to ensure they had the most up-to-date information as the storm approached. We continued to update throughout the day on our website and social media sites. |
| 12 September | Yellow and amber weather warnings for strong to severe gale force winds were in place for areas in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. We continued to brief emergency responders on the developing situation as the storm crossed the UK. We also provided updates throughout the day on the progress of the storm on our website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Watch our forecast below. |
Impacts
- One driver was sadly killed by a falling tree.
- There was some structural damage to homes and buildings across the affected regions.
- Hundreds of homes in Scotland were left without power.
- Some disruption to travel including road closures, ferry cancellations and delays on the rail network.
- Several tourist attractions in Scotland were closed, and scheduled events such as the Tour of Britain cycle race were cancelled.
Weather statistics
| Station | Max gust speed (mph) |
| Cairngorm Summit* | 98 |
| Cairnwell* | 90 |
| Aonach Mor* | 87 |
| Glen Ogle, Perthshire* | 86 |
| Capel Curig, Gwynedd | 81 |
| Edinburgh, Blackford Hill | 75 |
| Lake Vyrnwy, Powys | 75 |
| Castlederg, County Tyrone | 73 |
| Aberdaron, Gwynedd | 72 |
| Glasgow, Bishopton | 72 |
*Classified as a mountain station
