This week in 2019: Storm Hannah impacts the UK and Ireland

In April 2019 the UK and Ireland was hit by one of the strongest April storms of the last 50 years, Storm Hannah.

With extremely strong winds, Hannah resulted in power cuts for thousands amid travel disruption as trees were felled leaving roads and train lines blocked.

Hannah was first sighted on 25th April as an area of low pressure near Canada, before the system travelled across the Atlantic, rapidly deepening. On the 26th the system was officially named, and affected our shores until the 27th.

Upon impact peak wind gusts reached 82 mph in Gwynedd, Wales, with Wales seeing the strongest winds of all. Seven of the nine largest gusts recorded hit Wales. In England maximum speeds of 66 mph were recorded.

Heavy rain also fell, with Conwy, Wales seeing 108.4 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, which is 71% of the entire month’s average.

In Ireland the conditions damaged the country’s electricity network resulting in around 10,000 properties without power, mainly in Kerry and Cork.

The winds were so fierce that they even uncovered an ancient forest which had been buried for more than 4500 years.

Petrified trees, which had been covered by peat between Ynyslas and Borth, Wales were exposed after the water and sand above was blown away.

Hannah departed our shores a day later on 28th April and was the final named storm of the 2018/19 season. Meanwhile, this year, we have seen no home-named storms in the UK or Ireland.