Storm Isha dubbed ‘rare’ and ‘unusual’ by meteorologists, here’s what’s so strange about it

The UK has seen its fair share of bad weather this winter, with low temperatures triggering Cold Weather Payments across the country and drivers facing ice and snow on the roads. However, the latest weather reports have indicated that Brits are now facing an ‘unusual’ phenomenon.

Storm Isha has been causing travel chaos and the Met Office has issued danger-to-life wind warnings that cover the whole country on Monday 22 January and everywhere north of Manchester on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here’s where the storm has come from and what makes it so ‘rare’.

Where Storm Isha came from

Storm Isha is the ninth named storm this winter season, which begins in September. Storms are named alphabetically, and are named after people who are reporting on the weather or working to prevent damage caused by the conditions.

Storm Isha has come hot on the heels of Storm Henk, which hit the UK about a fortnight ago. Storm Isha was triggered by cold Arctic air that came in over the UK. The weather has become milder, but the rain and wind has really picked up - to the extent that trains and flights are being cancelled.

What makes Storm Isha rare?

Meteorologists have explained that Isha is particularly unusual because its extreme conditions have seen the whole of the UK covered by weather warnings. According to Met Office forecaster Ellie Glaisyer, ‘that’s the main difference to previous storms we have seen’. The storm is ‘widespread’, and to have the bad weather causing concern in so many areas is ‘relatively rare’.

The wind is expected to ease throughout the day today, but will pick back up on Tuesday - bringing yet more rain with it. Winds of 80mph are expected along the UK’s coastal areas, with some inland areas seeing gusts of up to 60mph. The weather is set to calm towards the middle of the week, and there are currently no warnings in place for Thursday 25 January.

Let's hope that it stays that way over the weekend!

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Sources used:

Met Office

Yahoo! News: Why Are Meteorologists Saying Storm Isha Is 'Unusual' And 'Rare'?