Northwest Europe: Storm Ciaran to bring adverse weather across parts of the region through at least Nov. 3 /update 2

Adverse weather associated with Storm Ciaran is forecast to affect parts of Ireland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and UK through at least Nov. 3.

Many parts of the UK and Ireland are still being affected by flooding caused by Storm Babet, which passed over the region Oct. 17-21. Hundreds of people were evacuated in parts of eastern Scotland and central England due to flooding. River levels remain high in many areas, and hundreds of flood warnings and alerts remain in place across parts of the UK as of early Nov. 2. Further adverse weather associated with Storm Ciaran will likely exacerbate the situation, even in areas where fairly moderate rainfall occurs.

As of early Nov. 2, the meteorological agencies have issued the following warnings:

• Red wind warnings (the highest level on a three-tier scale): northern and western Brittany and western Normandy regions in France Nov. 2.

• Orange wind warnings: southern England in the UK and western Belgium Nov. 2 .

• Orange thunderstorm and rain warnings: northwestern France Nov. 2.

• Yellow rain warnings: Wales, eastern Scotland, and southern and northeastern England in the UK and southern Ireland Nov. 2, as well as eastern Scotland and northeastern England in the UK Nov. 3.

• Yellow wind warnings: southern Wales and southern England in the UK, most of the Netherlands except the northeastern areas, the rest of Belgium, and coastal areas of Ireland Nov. 2 and northwestern Netherlands and coastal areas of Ireland Nov. 3.

Authorities will likely issue new alerts or update/rescind existing advisories as weather conditions change over the coming days.

Authorities in the UK have declared major incidents for Southampton, the Isle of Wight, and Jersey due to the storm. Authorities on Jersey have announced that Jersey Airport (JER) and Elizabeth Terminal will be closed Nov. 2, prompting disruptions to flight and ferry services to the island. Alderney (ACI) and Guernsey (GCI) airports will also be closed Nov. 2. British Airways (BA) has canceled at least 30 flights at Heathrow Airport (LHR).

Great Western Railway (GWR) has canceled all trains west of St Austell towards Penzance through at least the afternoon of Nov. 2. Network Rail will apply a speed restriction to all trains on coastal routes in southern England and between the coast and Three Bridges through Nov. 2. Ferries connecting UK, Ireland, France, and Spain have also been canceled through early Nov. 3. Hundreds of schools across southern England are closed Nov. 2.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) has reduced the runway capacity Nov. 2, resulting in almost 50 flight cancellations.

Additionally, French authorities will close Brest Bretagne Airport (BES) through at least 09:30 Nov. 2. All TER local trains in Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Normandy, Centre-Val de Loire, and Hauts-de-France are canceled Nov. 2. Some Transilien lines in the Ile-de-France Region are also suspended early Nov. 2. TGV will not serve some intermediate stations located off the high-speed lines and services to Nantes and La Rochelle are suspended Nov. 2. Trucks are banned from roads in Brittany Nov. 2 due to strong winds.

Sustained heavy rainfall could trigger further flooding in low-lying communities near rivers, streams, and creeks. Landslides are possible in hilly or mountainous areas, especially where heavy rain has saturated the soil. Further disruptions to electricity and telecommunications services are possible where significant flooding or landslides impact utility networks.

Ponding on road surfaces could cause hazardous driving conditions on regional highways. Authorities could temporarily close some low-lying routes that become inundated by floodwaters. Severe weather could also trigger flight delays and cancellations at regional airports. Flooding could block regional rail lines; further freight and passenger train delays and cancellations are likely in areas with heavy rainfall and potential track inundation.

Localized business disruptions may occur in low-lying areas; some businesses might not operate at full capacity because of flood damage to facilities, possible evacuations, and some employees' inability to reach work sites.