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Storm Emma (2018)

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(Redirected from Winter Storm Emma (2018))
March 2018 Western European Blizzard
TypeExtratropical cyclone, European windstorm, Winter storm, Blizzard
Formed26 February 2018
Dissipated5 March 2018
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion
63 centimetres (25 in) Little Rissington[1]
DamageAt least 3[2]
Areas affectedWestern Europe

Storm Emma, also called Ulrike, was a deep depression which was part of the 2017–18 European windstorm season. As it interacted with Anticyclone Hartmut, a cold wave, Emma's warmer damp air rode over the cold air that had been over Western Europe for a few days, leading to heavy snow falls of up to 57 centimetres (22 in).[3] It brought a renewed push of cold air to much of the United Kingdom with temperatures falling as low as −11 °C (12 °F) in Nairnshire.[4][3] The worst affected areas were southwest England and southern Wales.[5]

Snowfall, and temperatures

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Snowfall

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Although the maximum snow fall was 57 centimetres (22 in), most places affected reported a general total of 50 centimetres (20 in).[6] Snowfall was reported along the coast of Italy and French Riviera for the first time since 2010 and UK since 29 September 2017.[7] Snow also fell in Barcelona, a rare occurrence for the region,[8] disrupting Formula One car testing ahead of the 2018 season.[9]

Temperatures

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Throughout the storm, the temperatures were very low with Cairn Gorm recording a daytime high of −11.8 °C (10.8 °F)[10] on 1 March. However, more generally places saw maximum temperatures between −5 and −3 °C (23 and 27 °F).[3]

Effects

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Holyhead Marina in Holyhead, North Wales was destroyed due to the storm on 1–2 March 2018.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Little Risington Synop Report". ogimet.com.
  2. ^ Beast from the East meets storm Emma, causing UK's worst weather in years, The Guardian, March 2, 2018
  3. ^ a b c "British_weather_in_March.htm". trevorharley.com.
  4. ^ Greenfield, Patrick (26 February 2018). "UK braces for extreme weather as Met Office warns of snow".
  5. ^ "Storm Emma to bring up to 50cm of snow". BBC News. 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  6. ^ "Storm Emma to blanket UK in 50cm of snow, causing more misery for travellers". Independent.co.uk. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25.
  7. ^ "In Pictures: French Riviera hit by snowfall". 26 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Barcelona 2021 - Pictures snow Barcelona".
  9. ^ Benson, Andrew. "Formula 1 testing: Snow and rain ruins day three of pre-season testing". BBC Sport. BBC.
  10. ^ "Synop report summary".
  11. ^ Forgrave, Andrew (12 July 2020). "'We stood there in utter disbelief' - boat owners relive Holyhead Marina disaster amid battle to recover losses". Daily Post. Retrieved 15 February 2020.