 MODIS image of Abigail on 12 November 2015 | |
| Type | Extratropical cyclone European windstorm |
|---|---|
| Formed | 7 November 2015[1] |
| Dissipated | 15 November 2015[2] |
| Highest gust | 84 mph (135 km/h) (South Uist,Outer Hebrides)[3] |
| Lowest pressure | 964 mb (28.5 inHg)[4] |
| Power outages | 20,000[5] |
| Areas affected | Western Canada,Eastern Canada,Northern Europe |
Part of the2015-16 UK and Ireland windstorm season | |
Storm Abigail was an extratropical cyclone that brought high winds, rain, lightning, and snow across northernScotland.[6] It is the firstever storm to be officially named by theMet Office of theUnited Kingdom andIreland'sMet Éireann, being named on 10 November 2015.[7][8]
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionOn 10 November, a Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: "There remains some uncertainty regarding the exact extent and timing of strongest winds but current forecasts suggest that this storm could have some medium impacts such as disruption to transport and so a warning has been issued and the first storm has been named as Abigail."[7]
On 12 November, local ferries were affected by bad weather with many services cancelled. It was announced that every school in the Western Isles andShetland were to be closed to pupils on 13 November.[9] The storm left more than 20,000 homes without power, according to energy companySSE.[10]
TheScottish Environment Protection Agency also warned of the risk of flooding due to the storm, as the weather system was anticipated to create astorm surge along the south-west and west coast, due to coincidence with ahigh tide.[11]
| Warning | Force | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Amber | 11 | "Be prepared" weather warning was issued on 11 November for the Western Isles, north west Highlands, parts of Argyll and Orkney. A yellow "be aware" warning was applied to the rest of Scotland.[12] |
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Earlier in 2015, the Met Office and Met Éireann announced a pilot project to name wind storms and asked the public for suggestions.[8] The full list of names, common to both the UK and Ireland, were: Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva, Frank, Gertrude, Henry, Imogen, Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon and Wendy.[13]
A storm will be named when it is deemed able to potentially cause "substantial" impact on the UK or Ireland.
They will be taken from the list, in alphabetical order, alternating between male and female names. This is thesame naming convention as that used for tropical cyclones in the United States. Where weather events result from ex-tropical storms or hurricanes, the original name allocated by theNational Hurricane Center in the US will be used.[8]
