Torquay seafront in Devon at high tide as gales and heavy rain spread across the UK from the southwest Photo: SWNS.com
by Richard Alleyne
The Telegraph
Britain is being battered by a ‘European monsoon’ packing near hurricane-force 70mph winds, up to four inches’ rain and 40ft waves at sea.
The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for south-west England from early afternoon as strong winds and heavy rain will lash many parts of the country.
Residents in a Cornwall village were warned to stay indoors and batten down the hatches as 70mph storms began sweeping across Britain.
Government forecasters issued a red shipping warning for almost all coastal waters, expecting sea gales up to force 10 – which the Met Office’s wind speed charts showed whip up 12-metre waves at sea.
The deluges are due to the ‘European monsoon’ weather phenomenon – named after its more powerful Indian monsoon counterpart, independent forecasting firm The Weather Outlook said.
Forecaster Brian Gaze of The Weather Outlook said: “It’s a very poor early summer outlook, further heavy showers or longer spells of rain for all parts.
