.This time last year, most of the country was knee-deep in snow, in a freeze that seemed to last until the New Year.
This December seems to have a different disruptive agenda.
It was only last week that Scotland was making headline news with 165mph wind gusts, burnt-out wind turbines, toppled trucks and escaping trampolines!
This week it is England and Wales’ turn to bear the brunt.
We have got two storms in store.
The first is a deep depression drifting off the Atlantic with a swathe of gale, or severe gale-force winds, that are likely to most affect western and southern areas.
This one should be most ferocious overnight on Monday, with gusts of up to 60 or 70mph, although winds should abate a little for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Those 70mph gusts pale into comparison against the force of those over Scotland which topped 100mph, but in terms of impact and damage, location does play a part.
Northern and western parts of the country are both more likely to experience strong winds, and also tend to be more sparsely populated.
The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for strong winds and heavy rain on
Monday night for most of England, with the South East expected to be hit hard.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Strong winds on Monday evening have the potential to cause some disruption, especially in areas exposed to the south.
“In addition, rain will turn persistent and heavy, bringing the risk of surface water flooding over southwest England and Wales.
“At this stage there is some uncertainty and the public are advised to monitor
forecasts to keep up to date with this warning.”
Strong winds in the south could cause chaos.
Just one blocked road owing to debris or fallen branches creates havoc with a traffic system that is already overburdened.
One disrupted power line can bring homes and businesses to a standstill.
Not to mention some of the more creative catastrophes caused in the North last week. And we are not just talking about the one storm!
Thursday will dawn with a period of calm, but yet another low pressure system will be winding up in the west, ready to have a second go.
At this distance, it is hard to say who, or where, will be most affected, but it is fair to suggest that a tidy-up of the loose objects in your garden might be a good idea before nature does it for you!
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