| Type | Extratropical cyclone, European windstorm, Winter storm, Blizzard |
|---|---|
| Formed | 26 February 2018 |
| Dissipated | 5 March 2018 |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 63 centimetres (25 in) Little Rissington[1] |
| Damage | At least 3[2] |
| Areas affected | Western Europe |
Storm Emma, also called Ulrike, was a deep depression which was part of the 2017–18 European windstorm season. As it interacted with Anticyclone Hartmut, a cold wave, Emma's warmer damp air rode over the cold air that had been over Western Europe for a few days, leading to heavy snow falls of up to 57 centimetres (22 in).[3] It brought a renewed push of cold air to much of the United Kingdom with temperatures falling as low as −11 °C (12 °F) in Nairnshire.[4][3] The worst affected areas were southwest England and southern Wales.[5]
Snowfall, and temperatures[edit]
Snowfall[edit]
Although the maximum snow fall was 57 centimetres (22 in), most places affected reported a general total of 50 centimetres (20 in).[6] Snowfall was reported along the coast of Italy and French Riviera for the first time since 2010 and UK since 29 September 2017.[7] Snow also fell in Barcelona, a rare occurrence for the region,[8] disrupting Formula One car testing ahead of the 2018 season.[9]
Temperatures[edit]
Throughout the storm, the temperatures were very low with Cairn Gorm recording a daytime high of −11.8 °C (10.8 °F)[10] on 1 March. However, more generally places saw maximum temperatures between −5 and −3 °C (23 and 27 °F).[3]
Effects[edit]
Holyhead Marina in Holyhead, North Wales was destroyed due to the storm on 1–2 March 2018.[11]
See also[edit]
- Other storms named Emma
- Storm Larisa, which brought heavy snowfall to the United Kingdom in March 2023
References[edit]
- ^ "Little Risington Synop Report". ogimet.com.
- ^ Beast from the East meets storm Emma, causing UK's worst weather in years, The Guardian, March 2, 2018
- ^ a b c "British_weather_in_March.htm". trevorharley.com.
- ^ Greenfield, Patrick (26 February 2018). "UK braces for extreme weather as Met Office warns of snow".
- ^ "Storm Emma to bring up to 50cm of snow". BBC News. 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
- ^ "Storm Emma to blanket UK in 50cm of snow, causing more misery for travellers". Independent.co.uk. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2022-05-25.
- ^ "In Pictures: French Riviera hit by snowfall". 26 February 2018.
- ^ "Barcelona 2021 - Pictures snow Barcelona".
- ^ Benson, Andrew. "Formula 1 testing: Snow and rain ruins day three of pre-season testing". BBC Sport. BBC.
- ^ "Synop report summary".
- ^ Forgrave, Andrew (12 July 2020). "'We stood there in utter disbelief' - boat owners relive Holyhead Marina disaster amid battle to recover losses". Daily Post. Retrieved 15 February 2020.