Start with the warning, not the storm’s name. Open the Met Office warning for your postcode and read its timing, expected impacts and likelihood. Then use the next 48 hours to secure loose outdoor items, charge phones and medical backups, prepare for a power cut and check flood and travel advice. If power fails, call 105 in England, Scotland or Wales, or 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland (Met Office, Prepare).
First: what does “named storm” actually tell you?
Is a named storm automatically severe where I live?
No. The Met Office names a storm when it could cause disruption or damage leading to an amber or red warning. Wind is the usual reason, but rain, flooding or snow can also be enough. Your local warning may change as the forecast develops, and impacts will not be equal everywhere.
Warning colours combine impact with likelihood. A yellow warning can mean likely minor disruption or less-certain severe impacts. Amber means disruptive effects are more likely, so reconsider plans and protect people and property. Red means dangerous weather is expected: act now and avoid travel where possible (Met Office warnings guide).
Read the detail, including the matrix shown with the warning. The colour is the headline; the words are your instructions.
48 to 24 hours before: make the decisions
What should I check first?
- Timing: when the warning begins and ends, and whether the worst period includes school runs, work or care visits.
- Expected impacts: wind, rain, snow, coastal conditions, power cuts or transport disruption.
- Household plan: who will be home, who collects children, and who checks an older relative or neighbour.
- Travel: rail, ferry, airline and road advice. Change non-essential plans early if an amber or red warning affects you.
- Flood risk: weather warnings and flood warnings are separate. Check both if heavy rain, rivers, surface water or coastal flooding could affect you.
What belongs in the household plan?
Write down contact numbers, medication details, insurance contacts, local radio frequencies, and 105 or Northern Ireland’s 03457 643643. Agree how you will make contact if mobile data or broadband fails. The public GOV.UK Prepare checklist also suggests a meeting place and a grab bag for essentials if you are told to leave.
Is flooding part of this storm plan?
It may be. If you are at risk, put medicines, insurance papers, identity documents, chargers and sentimental items high up in a waterproof container. Plan where pets will go and keep carriers, leads, food and medication ready. The Environment Agency’s personal flood plan is a useful template for people in England; the nations box below gives the correct services elsewhere.
Know how to isolate water, gas and electricity, but only do so if official advice says to and it is safe. Never touch switches while standing in water. Never walk, cycle or drive through floodwater.
24 to 6 hours before: prepare the home
What should I secure outside?
Bring in or firmly secure ladders, bins, garden furniture, toys, trampolines and play equipment. Fasten windows, external doors and large garage doors. Park in a garage if available, or away from buildings, trees, walls and fences. Do this before the strong wind arrives, while it is safe (Prepare).
Use proper fixings and stay on the ground. A named storm is a poor time for the garden chair to develop travel ambitions.
If a chimney or large tree already looks unsafe, keep people away from the likely fall area and seek competent advice before conditions deteriorate. Do not climb onto a roof or attempt tree work during the storm.
What should I charge and gather?
Charge phones, power banks and backup batteries for essential medical equipment. Put charging cables with them. Gather:
- battery or wind-up torches and spare batteries;
- a battery or wind-up radio;
- regular medicines and paper instructions for medical devices;
- drinking water and food that needs no cooking, plus a tin opener;
- warm, waterproof clothing and sturdy footwear;
- first-aid supplies;
- pet food and medication; and
- a small amount of useful information on paper, not only on a phone.
Torches are safer than candles. The official list is illustrative, so use what suits your household and build it gradually.
How do I prepare for a power or phone outage?
Most power cuts are local and short, but storms can damage electricity and communications together. Put the network numbers on paper. Download anything important in advance, and tell family when you will check in. A battery radio remains useful when broadband and mobile data do not (Prepare: power cuts).
Turn off or unplug outdoor electrical equipment once it is safe. Do not run cables through standing water. If you own solar, a home battery, a heat pump or an EV charger, follow its manual and installer’s storm guidance; behaviour during a cut varies by model and installation.
The final 6 hours
What should I do just before conditions worsen?
- Bring people and pets inside.
- Close and fasten doors and windows.
- Move away from rooms directly below a visibly poor chimney stack if advised.
- Put torches where everyone can find them in the dark.
- Fill prescribed medicines and medical backups according to the care plan.
- Check the latest warning, travel operator and flood service.
- Put shoes, coats and the grab bag somewhere accessible, without blocking an exit.
- Let the person you plan to check know when they will hear from you.
If a flood warning tells you to act, follow it rather than finishing this list. In England, “Flood Warning” means flooding is expected and action is needed now; a “Severe Flood Warning” means danger to life (Environment Agency).
During the storm
Should I go out to repair damage?
No. Met Office advice is to stay indoors as much as possible and not repair property while the storm is still blowing. If you must go outside, avoid trees, buildings, boundary walls and fences. They can shed debris or collapse.
Limit travel and obey Do Not Travel notices. At the coast, keep well back from waves and spray. If your home becomes unsafe, follow emergency-service instructions.
What if a tree or cable comes down?
Treat every low, fallen, damaged or tree-entangled electricity line as live. Stay at least 10 metres away, keep other people back and call 105 in Great Britain. Call 999 as well if there is an immediate public danger. Never cut or move a tree touching a cable (UK Power Networks).
If the power goes, use torches. Switch off ovens, irons, electric fires and fryers, unplug sensitive electronics, and keep fridge and freezer doors closed (Prepare). Keep a working audible carbon monoxide alarm, but never use a barbecue, camping stove or generator indoors or in a garage; they can cause fatal poisoning (GOV.UK).
After the worst has passed
Wait for official advice and daylight before inspecting outside. Do not touch hanging telephone or electrical cables. Keep away from weakened walls, buildings and trees. Photograph damage safely and contact your insurer or landlord before major clearing.
If floodwater entered the property, do not return until told it is safe. Wear protective clothing and have gas and electricity supplies checked before reconnection (personal flood plan).
Check on neighbours and relatives, then recharge batteries and note what the household used. Replace supplies gradually while the experience is fresh.
People who need extra help
Make the plan around the person, not around the weather app. Anyone using powered medical equipment should have instructions, charged backup and a plan agreed with their clinical team or provider. Test telecare and digital phone backup as a complete system. The free Priority Services Register can offer advance notice and extra support during supply interruptions; contact both the energy supplier and network operator (Ofgem). Arrange an in-person check if phones fail, and include mobility, sensory needs, babies and pets in any evacuation plan.
If you live in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
England: sign up for Environment Agency warnings; Floodline is 0345 988 1188 (GOV.UK). Scotland: use SEPA Floodline for regional alerts and local warnings (SEPA). Wales: Natural Resources Wales offers free warnings, but rapid surface-water and small-watercourse flooding may not be covered (NRW). Northern Ireland: there is no equivalent public address-based registration; use Met Office, nidirect, official media and local updates (Met Office). Report road flooding, burst mains or blocked drains on 0300 2000 100; call 999 if life is at risk (nidirect).
We’re putting together an Essentials Kit: the non-food essentials from the Prepare list in one bag, with a card saying exactly which water and tins to add. Join the list to hear when it’s ready.
Sources
- Met Office, UK Storm Centre: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/uk-storm-centre
- Met Office, weather warnings guide: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/warnings
- Met Office, staying safe in a storm: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/your-home/stay-safe-in-a-storm
- GOV.UK Prepare, storms: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/storms/
- GOV.UK Prepare, power cuts: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/power-cuts/
- GOV.UK Prepare, getting prepared: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/
- GOV.UK, safe warmth during a power outage: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-advice-from-uk-cmos-during-a-national-power-outage/keeping-warm-or-cool-in-extreme-weather-scripts-for-broadcast-media
- Environment Agency, flood warnings: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/flood-alerts-and-warnings-what-they-are-and-what-to-do
- Environment Agency, personal flood plan: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-flood-plan/personal-flood-plan
- SEPA, Floodline: https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/361817/floodline-service-leaflet-2018.pdf
- Natural Resources Wales, flood warnings: https://www.naturalresources.wales/flooding/sign-up-to-receive-flood-warnings/?lang=en
- Met Office, flood advice: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/your-home/what-to-do-in-a-flood
- nidirect, reporting flooding: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/reporting-flooding
- UK Power Networks, damaged lines and trees: https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/safety-equipment/power-lines/cut-trees-and-bushes
- Ofgem, Priority Services Register: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/how-manage-your-energy-supply/join-your-suppliers-priority-services-register