Storm Isha: Met Office extends weather alert as 56mph winds and heavy rain hit Merseyside

The Met Office has issued a yellow alert for Merseyside with Storm Isha set to hit the region this weekend. Gales could reach up to 56mph in Liverpool and a weather alert for wind has been put in place from noon on Sunday (21 January) and extended until Wednesday (24 January).

The national weather service has warned that injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible. Damage to buildings and disruption to travel is also likely.

The whole country has been placed under a weather warning, which is of amber severity in some areas. The amber alert currently skirts the edges of Merseyside and it's possible the region could be upgraded from yellow before Sunday.

Heavy rain will hit Merseyside at around 6pm on Sunday night as Storm Isha arrives and will continue into the early hours of Monday morning. Strong winds will build over the day and are due to hit their initial peak in the region around 10pm, when they could reach 54mph. Heavy rain will return on Tuesday and gusts of 56pmh are forecast for the early hours of Wednesday.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Dan Suri, said: “Storm Isha will bring strong winds to the whole of the UK through Sunday and into Monday. The areas of particular concern are reflected by a large Amber severe weather warning which covers Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland, Wales, much of northern England as well as southwestern parts of England.

“In these regions we could see gusts frequently between 50-60mph and even up to 80mph in exposed coastal locations. As the storm starts to move away on Monday morning very strong winds will also develop in the far southeast of England, bringing the risk of 70-80mph gusts here too in the early hours of Monday morning.

“Storm Isha will bring a disruptive spell of weather to the UK with strong winds across the whole country. Heavy rain will cause additional hazards, particularly in the west. A number of severe weather warnings for rain have also been issued. Keep up to date with the Met Office warnings and pay close attention to guidance from your local authority.”

Met Office five-day forecast for Liverpool

• ☁️ Saturday, January 20 - Cloudy. High 8°C. Low 6°C
• ⚠️ Sunday, January 21 - Yellow weather warning for wind. Cloudy. High 12°C. Low 8°C
• ⚠️ Monday, January 22 - Yellow weather warning for wind. Sunny intervals. High 10°C. Low 7°C
• ⚠️ Tuesday, January 23 - Yellow weather warning for wind. Heavy rain. High 13°C. Low 9°C.
• ⚠️ Wednesday, January 24 - Yellow weather warning for wind. Sunny intervals. High 10°C. Low 6°C