MET Office - Meteorological Office

01/26/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/26/2026 04:49

Storm Chandra has been named

Storm Chandra has been named

Author: Met Office

10:36 (UTC) on Mon 26 Jan 2026

Strong winds and heavy rain falling on saturated ground will bring impacts on Monday night and Tuesday.

A deep area of low pressure, named Storm Chandra, will bring a further spell of wet and windy conditions later Monday and into Tuesday. Gusty winds will impact the Isles of Scilly, western Cornwall and southwest Wales before moving north up the Irish Sea where eastern parts of Northern Ireland will see impactful easterly winds through Tuesday.

An Amber warning for wind has been issued for eastern Northern Ireland. Gusts of 60-70mph are likely widely within the Amber warning area, with 75mph gusts possible in coastal locations. Easterly winds of this strength are unusual and are likely to be impactful. A separate Yellow warning covers Cornwall, southwestern Wales and parts of northern Devon.

Heavy rain will also be a hazard as it falls on sensitive areas that have already seen persistent wet weather in recent days, this could lead to some flooding impacts. An Amber warning for rain has been issued for south Devon, much of Dorset, southern Somerset and southeast Cornwall where 30-50mm of rain could fall widely, with up to 60-80mm over higher ground of south Dartmoor.

Further north, as precipitation encounters colder air it will fall as hill snow on the northern edge of the system. Yellow warnings for snow have been issued for Scotland and northern England where 2-5cm could fall widely within the warning areas and as much as 10-20cm could accumulate at elevations over 500 metres.

Met Office Chief Forecaster, Paul Gundersen, said: "Storm Chandra will bring a range of hazards to the UK through Monday night and Tuesday. Initially strong winds will impact the Isles of Scilly, western Cornwall and southwest Wales which are still vulnerable after Storm Goretti, gusts of 70 to 80mph are possible here. Heavy rain is an additional hazard as it falls on saturated ground in Dorset and southern parts of Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.

"As Chandra interacts with colder air further north snow becomes a hazard, with 10-20cm of snow possibly accumulating over higher ground in the Pennines, southern Scotland and the Highlands. With a complex spell of weather, its important people stay up to date with the forecast and any warnings in your area."

#StormChandra has been named and is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Tuesday ⚠️

Flooding and travel disruption is likely in places and there will also be some significant snow across higher ground in some northern areas ❄️ pic.twitter.com/3DP8g3MrBz

- Met Office (@metoffice) January 26, 2026

Storm Chandra is the next storm on the western Europe storm naming group list shared between the UK, Ireland and Netherlands. Other recent storms, such as Storm Goretti, have been named by other storm naming centres. You can read more about the storm naming process on our UK Storm Centre webpage.

Flooding advice

It is not safe to drive or walk or swim through floodwater, avoid it where possible and if you are affected by fast flowing or deep water call 999 and wait for help. 

Preparing a floodkit could save you from loss or damage due to flooding to your home or business. In your floodkit have: 

  • Insurance documents and list of contact numbers 
  • Torch & spare batteries 
  • First aid kit and any prescription medicines 
  • Warm waterproof clothes and blankets 
  • Bottled water and snacks 
  • Battery or wind-up radio 
  • Supplies for looking after your baby or pet 

More advice on being prepared for severe weather is available through WeatherReady.

Further ahead

The rest of the week continues to be unsettled with further spells of wet and windy weather. Wednesday brings the best day of weather for most, with dry and at times bright conditions in the east, however rain and cloud persists in the west.

You can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store. 

MET Office - Meteorological Office published this content on January 26, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 26, 2026 at 10:49 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]