Hang on to your hats Britain (but that’s really the least of your worries) as high winds continue across the region today. A very tight pressure gradient caused strong, damaging winds to wreak havoc on the area yesterday which caused seaport closures, power outages and driving conditions to become hazardous across parts of the country. Although the winds aren’t as strong today, some of the major airports are still expected to see wind gusts between 40-52 knots today. Several flights were canceled or delayed yesterday in both Edinburgh and Glasgow due to the winds. London’s major airports also experienced flight delays.

Shannon, Ireland: 18Z Westerly winds at 33 knots with gusts to 50 knots.

Dublin, Ireland: 18Z Westerly winds at 30 knots with gusts to 52 knots.

Edinburgh, Scotland: 18Z Westerly winds at 30 knots with gusts to 45 knots.

Glasgow, Scotland: 18Z Southwesterly winds at 35 knots with gusts to 48 knots.

**Winds are expected to gradually decrease after 0Z.

Moderate to severe turbulence will be possible across parts of Ireland and the UK today between 29,000 and 39,000 ft with winds in the upper levels up to 160 knots. This is the area where flight crew and passengers will likely encounter turbulence today. Image: Universal Weather & Aviation

The winds were the strongest yesterday across Scotland and Northern Ireland with Edinburgh reporting gusts of up to 102 mph. That’s hurricane force wind gusts! There were widespread power outages and downed trees along with numerous road closures. Trains also canceled services between London and Scotland as traveling became hazardous along the rails due to the excessive winds. Thankfully the winds aren’t as strong today and will gradually decrease through the day on Thursday.

The low pressure system that brought high winds to the UK yesterday is now located over southern Scandinavia. Image: UK Met Office

High winds are expected today across SW Scotland (Lothian Borders), northern England, Yorkshire & Humber and East Midlands. Winds will continue to increase throughout the day with the risk of severe gales along the coasts and hills during the evening hours. Image: UK Met OfficeA strong area of low pressure will move eastward across the Baltic Sea and into Finland on Wednesday, bringing the threat of high winds to areas surrounding the Baltic Sea. In addition, a second strong area of low pressure will move across the North Sea and into southern Norway and Sweden today, bringing another round of very gusty winds to the British Isles, coastal areas of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Gusty winds will likely persist over these areas through Wednesday night into Thursday before diminishing as the low pressure moves off to the east. Wind gusts throughout the region up to 40-60 mph will be possible, with isolated higher gusts over west-facing coastal regions of Ireland and the U.K. Image: ImpactWeather StormWatch

Strong winds aren’t only a concern in the UK but also right here in the U.S. A High Wind Warning is currently in effect for portions of Montana through Thursday afternoon. Sustained westerly winds will be between 25-45 mph with gusts as high as 60-70 mph. Hazardous driving conditions will be possible, especially for those driving high profile vehicles.

It was only last month Scotland received a pounding due to high winds. Read the YourWeatherBlog article here.

A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph or more can lead to property damage. Image: NWS Great Falls, MT