Today's storm exploded into life yesterday in the mid-Atlantic and deepened at such a ferocious rate that meteorologists called it a “bomb”. By Monday morning it was blasting towards the west coast of Ireland and its central core of pressure had dropped to 946 millibars, something that might be expected in a hurricane.

As the core of pressure in the centre of the tempest deepened, so the winds wrapped around it were driven into a frenzy, reaching over 130km/h (80mph) in exposed sites on the coast. Hurricane strength winds are defined as over 70mph, although Britain does not get actual hurricanes which require the presence of tropical water.

The worst of the winds were concentrated around the southern flank of the storm, which meant that South Wales and the Southwest were battered hardest. The winds and low atmospheric pressure also combined with high spring tides to produce storm surges that hit the coastline with huge waves.

By early afternoon the initial storm had passed. A secondary storm was due to bring blustery winds and more rain this evening, but it was not expected to be as severe as what we have just experienced.

The Environment Agency still has 40 flood warnings in place, largely in the Southwest, and the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary will be particularly at risk over the next few hours as water is funnelled into the narrows of the estuary. This funneling effect of southwesterly wind and exceptional tides also gave the phenomenon of the Severn Bore this morning, a wave of seawater that rides up the River Severn.

The intensity and explosive nature of this storm was thanks to a vigorous jet stream, a band of winds a few miles high blasting in from the east coast of North America at over 320km/h (200mph). As these high-level winds surged overhead they helped to power and steer the depression across the Atlantic and over the UK. Because the jet stream winds are travelling so fast and straight, the storm blew over quite rapidly.

The bad weather is not over yet, however. Another, separate gale is heading towards the UK overnight on Wednesday. This will travel slightly further north than today’s gale, with the worst of the winds hitting Northern Ireland, North Wales, North England and the Midlands. Although its central pressure will not be as intense, it could cause even more disruption over a wider area.

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