Storm Desmond

Desmond
Desmond on 5 December 2015
TypeExtratropical cyclone
Formed3 December 2015
Dissipated8 December 2015
Highest winds
  • 81 mph (130 km/h)
Highest gust112 mph (180 km/h)
(Aonach Mòr, Scottish Highlands)[1]
Lowest pressure939 mb (27.7 inHg)
Fatalities3[7][8]
Damage≥ £870 million (≥ €970 million) (2015)[2]
Power outages46,300[3][4][5][6]
Areas affectedIreland, Isle of Man, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Sweden[9]

Storm Desmond was an extratropical cyclone and fourth named storm of the 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season, notable for directing a plume of moist air, known as an atmospheric river,[1][10] which brought record amounts of orographic rainfall to upland areas of northern Atlantic Europe and subsequent major floods.[11]

In the United Kingdom, the worst affected areas were centred on Cumbria, parts of Lancashire, and the Scottish Borders. In Ireland, the worst affected areas were in the Shannon River Basin, in the west and Irish midlands.[12] Severe rain and some flooding was also reported in Northumberland, north Wales and Yorkshire.[13] Disruption from flooding, high winds, and damage to infrastructure led to the suspension of hundreds of rail services across the country, with the West Coast Main Line closed for several days due to flooding and a landslide. Sports fixtures were also cancelled and more than 43,000 homes across the north of England were left without power, as well as over 2,000 homes in the Republic of Ireland and around 700 in Wales. The extent of damage caused in such a short period across wide areas brought into focus the performance of UK central government flood defence strategies.[14]

The expected heavy rainfall was considered to be an extreme weather event by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, who named it Synne.[15] The Free University of Berlin named the low Ted, as part of its Adopt–a–vortex programme.[16]

  1. ^ a b Erdman, Jon (6 December 2015). "Storm Desmond Lashes U.K., Ireland With Flooding, Winds Over 100 MPH; Taps Caribbean Moisture". Weather.com. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Global Catastrophe Recap December 2015" (PDF). Aon Benfield. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-04-22.
  3. ^ Will Metcalfe (5 December 2015). "Storm Desmond hits North East RECAP: Corbridge homes evacuated and 70mph winds batter region". nechronicle. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  4. ^ Daniel Milligan (5 December 2015). "Corbridge homes evacuated and 70mph winds batter region". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Storm Desmond hits UK". BBC News. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Floods, power outages and travel issues across Ireland". The Irish Times. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Storm Desmond: Met Office warns of more heavy rain and gale-force winds as clean-up continues". Telegraph.co.uk. 8 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Tyrone showband era star Ivan swept to his death in Storm Desmond floodwaters". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
  9. ^ "Fuktiga sydvästvindar gav mycket höga flöden i Västsverige" (in Swedish). SMHI. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  10. ^ @NWSOPC (5 December 2015). "CIRA layered PW helps visualize #AtmosphericRiver; easy to see AR stretching from the Caribbean to Ireland/UK! #GRPG" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 December 2015 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Hammond, John (8 December 2015). "Why has Cumbria flooded again?". BBC Weather. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Dramatic aerial footage shows 'unstoppable' floods as Met Eireann issues new weather warning". Irish Independent. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Storm Desmond". Met Office. 4 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  14. ^ Helm, Dieter (January 2016). "Flood defence: time for a radical rethink". dieterhelm.co.uk.
  15. ^ "Fase C: Ekstremværet Synne er i gang" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Meteorological Institute. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^ "Analysis". Free University of Berlin. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.