A quick message regarding Storm Brendan and some windy weather over the coming days. 

The remainder of today will see winds increasing – and rain becoming heavy later this evening and early tonight.  The winds will become stronger and gusts of around 35 to 45mph, locally 50mph in exposed locations are possible. In the wet weather, travelling conditions will difficult, with local surface water flooding possible.

Highways England will close the Orwell Bridge between 7pm and 11pm this evening. 

By the early hours of Tuesday, the strongest winds and heaviest rain are expected to have cleared all parts of our region.  However, during Tuesday, another bout of rain and gales is expected to sweep across all areas. South to south-westerly gales could reach around 40 to 50 mph for many of us – and exceed 50mph is some exposed locations. The very strongest gusts may well occur from late afternoon through until midnight tomorrow.

The potential risk of impacts associated with these gales, mean that a Met Office Yellow Warning for Wind remains in place from 1200 to 2359 Tuesday – and bring a Medium Likelihood of Low Impacts.

This is only a YELLOW warning for Medium Likelihood of Low Impacts, but conditions have been wet for some time so the accumulative effects may be greater.  However, no planned coordinated activity is planned at this stage. However, if agencies or organisations consider there are other factors which might suggest closer monitoring of the impacts, please get in touch soonest to enable a wider discussion to take place.

Keith Fawkner-Simpson

Emergency Planning Officer

Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit

01394 444453 / 07920 139306

E-mail: Keith.fawkner-simpson@suffolk.gov.uk