Oct 27, 2013

One of the strongest storms Great Britain has seen in decades is expected to hit its southern half Monday. Nicknamed “Saint Jude” after the saint who is traditionally celebrated on the day the storm is expected to hit, the storm is expected to bring winds of about 80 miles per hour and heavy rain.

: Will Brewer, 4, plays in the foam washed ashore on the Brighton seafront on October 27, 2013, as high winds pick up ahead of an expected storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: People watch as large waves break against barriers at the harbor in Porthcawl, south Wales on October 27, 2013 ahead of the arrival of a predicted storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images)

: People take a walk along the pebble beach as large waves crash against the walls of Brighton Marina in the background in Brighton, southern England on October 27, 2013. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: A man and his dog stand watching as waves roll in at the beach in Porthcawl, south Wales on October 27, 2013 ahead of the arrival of a predicted storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images)

: A woman is soaked as large waves crash against the walls of Brighton seafront, in southern England on October 27, 2013 as a predicted storm starts to build. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: A man walks his dog along a sea wall in Lyme Regis, southern England on October 27, 2013 as strong winds blow spray over the sea wall. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)

: A boat is moored on the beach as large waves crash against the walls of Brighton Marina, in Brighton, southern England on October 27, 2013 as high winds pick up ahead of an expected storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: A man walks through the foam as waves roll in to the beach in Porthcawl, south Wales on October 27, 2013 ahead of the arrival of a predicted storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images)

: People stand on the rocks as large waves break against barriers at the harbor in Porthcawl, south Wales on October 27, 2013 as a predicted storm starts to build. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images)

: A boat is dragged from its mooring on the beach and destroyed by large waves near Brighton Marina, in southern England on October 27, 2013 ahead of a predicted storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: A boy plays in the foam washed ashore on the Brighton seafront on October 27, 2013 as high winds pick up ahead of an expected storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Large waves break against barriers on the seafront in Brighton, southern England on October 27, 2013 as a predicted storm starts to build. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Large waves break against barriers on the seafront in Brighton, southern England on October 27, 2013 as a predicted storm starts to build. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: Large waves crash against the walls of Brighton Marina, southern England on October 27, 2013 as high winds pick up ahead of an expected storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: People sit and watch as large waves crash against the walls of Brighton Marina, southern England on October 27, 2013 as high winds pick up ahead of an expected storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

: A ship makes its way out of the River Mersey passing the Iron Men of Anthony Gormley’s art installation “Another Place” near Crosby in northwest England on October 27, 2013. Britain was braced for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RLNI) workers check boats in a harbour in Lyme Regis, southern England on October 27, 2013 in preparation for an expected storm. Britain was braced on October 27 for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles an hour set to batter the south of the country. (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)

Britain braced for hurricane-force ‘Saint Jude’ storm
Reuters, October 27, 2013

LONDON (Reuters) – Hurricane-force winds are forecast to disrupt road, rail and airport networks on Monday when one of the strongest storms in decades is expected to hit the southern half of Britain during rush-hour, forecasters warned on Sunday.

Local media dubbed the storm “Saint Jude”, after the patron saint of lost causes who is traditionally celebrated on October 28, and made comparisons to 1987 when a storm killed 18 people in Britain and felled some 15 million trees.

The storm is expected to bring 80 mph winds and heavy rain to Britain early on Monday morning. The strongest winds could affect commuter routes north of London and across the central region, the Met Office said.

Britain prepares for worst storm in more than a decade

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