Met Office issues new yellow weather warnings for Lancashire as Storm Franklin looms

A low-pressure system was forecast to move across Britain on Sunday (February 20), bringing further rain, winds and unsettled weather.

The Met Office was unsure whether it would develop into a storm, but if it does, it will be named Storm Franklin - making it the third to hit the UK in just a week.

New weather warnings, which all covered parts of Lancashire, were subsequently issued as Storm Eunice battered Britain on Friday (February 18).

The first yellow weather warning for ice, which covered all of Lancashire, was put in place alongside an amber alert for wind.

In place from 6pm on Friday until 9am on Saturday (February 19), icy patches were expected on untreated roads, with injuries from slips and falls possible.

"Some snow is likely to accumulate over 200m, but the wintry mix is more likely to bring a risk of icy roads and pavements," a spokesman for the Met Office said.

"Most showers will ease by Saturday morning."

A yellow weather warning for rain was also put in place for Sunday (February 20) between midnight and 6pm.

The warning covered Blackburn, Burnley, Hyndburn, Rossendale, Pendle, Ribble Valkley, Fleetwood, Lancaster and Morecambe.

Up to 40mm of rain was expected to hit the county, with the possibility of 75 to 100mm predicted to fall on some exposed sites.

Alongside the rain warning, the Met Office issued a 24-hour yellow weather warning for wind from midday on Sunday (February 20).

Covering most of Lancashire - including Blackpool, Preston and Leyland - very strong winds were expected to hit the coastline.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "Winds could gust to 50 to 60 mph inland, and between 70 and 80 mph for a time on the mountains and exposed coasts, with large waves expected as well.

"The strong winds will be accompanied by heavy, frequent and increasingly wintry showers with blizzard conditions expected in the mountains, before conditions ease later on Monday."

Eunice is the sixth named storm of the season.

The latest storm, officially named by the Met Office on February 14, followed Storm Dudley in quick succession.

The season began with Storm Arwen, which was named on November 25.

The new storms list – first launched in 2015 – for each year generally runs from early September until late August the following year, coinciding with the beginning of autumn.

Members of the public can suggest names by emailing [email protected].

Storms are named when they have the potential to cause an amber or red warning.

A list of possible names are compiled by Irish forecaster Met Eireann, the UK’s Met Office and the Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI.

Naming storms is seen as a way of improving the communication of upcoming severe weather through the media and government agencies, the Met Office said.

The forecaster added: “In this way the public will be better placed to keep themselves, their property and businesses safe.”

The next storm is due to be named Franklin, followed by Gladys.

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