Storm Ali: What we know so far

Is there a weather warning in place for Storm Ali?

Yes. The original yellow status severe weather warning has been upgraded to amber. The warning is valid throughout Northern Ireland from 8:00am to 5:00pm on Wednesday.

What does an amber weather warning from the Met Office actually mean?

There is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans.

This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.

You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property.

You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.

What should I expect when Storm Ali arrives?

The following is a list of what to expect issued by the Met Office:

- Flying debris is likely and could lead to Injuries or danger to life

- Probably some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs or damage through falling trees and branches breaking

- Longer journey times and cancellations likely, as road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected

- Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

- Some roads and bridges likely to close

- Large waves could affect coastal roads, sea fronts and properties

Why is the storm called Ali?

The Met Office officially named the storm, Ali on Tuesday morning.

Last week, the Met Office and Met Eireann released the names to be given to storms in 2018/19.

Ali is the first name in the list so the storm is the first to be named since the new names were published.

The next storm will be called Bronagh.

How strong is the storm expected to be?

Storm Ali is expected to bring a very windy spell of weather with gusts of 65-75 mph inland.