Hey Jude, Don’t Blow Me Down

Parts of the UK, including Oxford, have been warned to prepare for incoming heavy rain and strong winds.

The storm, which has been nicknamed ‘St Jude’, after the patron saint of depression and lost causes (nice touch), is set to cause wide-scale disruption in the next 48 hours. The Met Office has said that 20-40mm of rain could fall in just six to nine hours in the wettest areas.

Oxford is within the area currently expecting gusts of winds that could reach 80mph. As part of the ‘Amber’ warning there’s likely to be disruption to travel and the potential for damage to some buildings and power lines. People are being advised to travel to work later on Monday to avoid the worst of the winds.

The heavy rain should hit Oxford around midnight Sunday and continue into the early hours on Monday morning. The full weather effects of the storm should have cleared by Tuesday.

While the storm is not expected to reach the levels experienced in 1987,  it could well be the worst storm to hit the UK for five years.

The Tab’s advice: In the event Divinity Road becomes to treacherous to climb and the risk of being blown away too great (any excuse) we recommend staying indoors with lots of comfort food, sticking the telly on (until the power goes out) and tweeting your pictures to @TabBrookes. Watch this space for more info.