Hurricane Kirk latest as Met Office tracks path of oncoming storm

The remains of the storm will make landfall on this side of the Atlantic on Wednesday

The Met Office says it may need to issue weather warnings next week as the remains of Hurricane Kirk head towards the UK, potentially bringing heavy rain and high winds. The category four storm is currently in the Atlantic where it has been threatening the USA with 200mph winds.

The Met Office says the storm will begin to dissipate as it heads towards us and ex-Hurricane Kirk is likely to reach northwest Europe from midweek, potentially bringing disruptive weather for the UK.

From midweek, Hurricane Kirk, which is currently in the Atlantic, poses a threat of bringing disruptive rain and wind for some, though it will have lost its status as a hurricane by the time it reaches northwest Europe.

Chris Bulmer, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Kirk over the North Atlantic will lose its status as a hurricane early next week before being swept towards northwest Europe. The resulting low pressure system will still have the potential to bring disruptive rain and winds to some areas, including parts of the UK, from the middle of next week.

“There remains much detail to work out on the exact track and timing of the system. Across the UK, parts of England and Wales look to have the greatest risk of heavy rain and strong winds during Wednesday and Thursday. However, a more southward track of this system, which is equally plausible at this stage, would see the most disruptive conditions impact France. The need for warnings will be kept under review over the coming days, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.”

Hurricanes are tropical features and require sea temperatures much higher than those around the UK, even in the summer. The UK is sometimes affected by deep depressions that were originally hurricanes which have moved to higher latitudes. Such depressions are classified as 'ex-hurricanes' or 'ex-tropical cyclones' since they have changed their prime energy source from the warm ocean surface to the clash of warm tropical and cold polar air.

By the time Kirk potentially reaches waters near the UK, it will have lost its power and be known as ‘ex-hurricane Kirk’.

If the weather system reaches the criteria for naming it a storm due to its possible impacts, it would be known as Storm Kirk.