Storm Abigail#See also
{{Short description|2015 storm}}
{{Infobox storm
|name=Abigail
|image location=Abigail Nov 12 2015 1155Z.jpg
|image name=MODIS image of Abigail on 12 November 2015
|RSI=
|stormtype=Extratropical cyclone
European windstorm
|sustained wind=
|gust={{convert|84|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
(South Uist, Outer Hebrides){{cite web|publisher=Met Office|date=16 November 2015|accessdate=16 July 2023|title=UK Storm Centre: Storm Abigail|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/uk-storm-centre/storm-abigail|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118040118/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/uk-storm-centre/storm-abigail |archive-date=18 November 2015}}
|total damages (USD)=
|total fatalities=
|areas affected=Western Canada, Eastern Canada, Northern Europe
| partof = the 2015-16 UK and Ireland windstorm season
}}
Storm Abigail was an extratropical cyclone that brought high winds, rain, lightning, and snow across northern Scotland.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-34777673|title=Storm Abigail: First of Met Office's named storms to batter Scotland|date=10 November 2015 |publisher=BBC News|accessdate=10 November 2015}} It is the first ever storm to be officially named by the Met Office of the United Kingdom and Ireland's Met Éireann, being named on 10 November 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2015/storm-Abigail|title=Met Office officially names Abigail as first storm|publisher=Met Office|accessdate=16 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025257/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2015/storm-Abigail |archive-date=17 November 2015}}{{cite web|title=Met Éireann and the UK Met Office release list of winter storm names|url=http://www.met.ie/news/display.asp?ID=353|publisher=Met Éireann|accessdate=13 November 2015|date=10 November 2015}}
Meteorological history and impacts
{{storm path|Abigail 2015 track.png|4=Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale}}
On 10 November, a Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: "There remains some uncertainty regarding the exact extent and timing of strongest winds but current forecasts suggest that this storm could have some medium impacts such as disruption to transport and so a warning has been issued and the first storm has been named as Abigail."
On 12 November, local ferries were affected by bad weather with many services cancelled. It was announced that every school in the Western Isles and Shetland were to be closed to pupils on 13 November.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-34794583|title=Storm Abigail: Schools to be closed and ferries cancelled|date=11 November 2015 |publisher=BBC News|accessdate=12 November 2015}} The storm left more than 20,000 homes without power, according to energy company SSE.{{cite web|url=http://news.ssepd.co.uk/news/all-articles/2015/11/storm-abigail-afternoon-update/|title=Storm Abigail latest|publisher=SSE Power Distribution|accessdate=14 November 2015|archive-date=17 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023302/http://news.ssepd.co.uk/news/all-articles/2015/11/storm-abigail-afternoon-update/|url-status=dead}}
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency also warned of the risk of flooding due to the storm, as the weather system was anticipated to create a storm surge along the south-west and west coast, due to coincidence with a high tide.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/schools-shut-ferries-cancelled-by-storm-abigail-1-3946243|title=Schools shut, ferries cancelled by Storm Abigail|publisher=The Scotsman|accessdate=12 November 2015}}
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Warning | Force | Information |
|---|---|---|
| style="background:orange;"|Amber | style="background-color: #FF3300; font-size: large;" id="Beaufort_Number_11" | 11 | "Be prepared" weather warning was issued on 11 November for the Western Isles, north west Highlands, parts of Argyll and Orkney. A yellow "be aware" warning was applied to the rest of Scotland.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-34786322|title=Storm Abigail: Weather warning upgraded to amber|date=11 November 2015 |publisher=BBC News|accessdate=11 November 2015}} |
Background
File:Abigail IMG 5241 (22625639117).jpg during Storm Abigail (13 November)]]
Earlier in 2015, the Met Office and Met Éireann announced a pilot project to name wind storms and asked the public for suggestions. The full list of names, common to both the UK and Ireland, were: Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva, Frank, Gertrude, Henry, Imogen, Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon and Wendy.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34578310|title=Nigel and Steve among new storm names|date=20 October 2015 |publisher=BBC News|accessdate=10 November 2015}}
A storm will be named when it is deemed able to potentially cause "substantial" impact on the UK or Ireland.
They will be taken from the list, in alphabetical order, alternating between male and female names. This is the same naming convention as that used for tropical cyclones in the United States. Where weather events result from ex-tropical storms or hurricanes, the original name allocated by the National Hurricane Center in the US will be used.
See also
{{Portal|Scotland|Weather}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category}}
{{UK and Ireland windstorm seasons}}
{{Weather events in the United Kingdom}}
Category:2015 disasters in the United Kingdom