A third weather warning in the space of a week will be in place tomorrow across the Harrogate district.
Following Storm Pia and strong winds on Christmas Eve, the district is now braced for Storm Gerrit.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning, which is active from 3am to 6pm tomorrow.
It says heavy rain and strong winds will have the potential for “disruption to travel and a risk of flooding”.
The wet weather is due to begin in the early hours of tomorrow and continue until evening.
It will remain windy for the next few days.
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Harrogate ice rink closes as wind brings more disruption
Today’s strong winds are having an impact on local attractions on Christmas Eve.
The ice rink at Crescent Gardens in Harrogate announced on social media it would be closed for the second time in recent days due to wind.
It said:
“Due to the Met Office yellow warning for today being wind gusts up to 61mph, it will be unsafe conditions to ice skate.
“It is with great regret that we have therefore made the difficult decision to close the ice rink for Christmas Eve.
“We plan to reopen the ice rink as usual on Boxing Day but please keep an eye on our social media.”
RHS Garden Harlow Carr has also closed due to the weather. It posted on social media:
“Unfortunately due to the forecast of strong winds, the garden will be closed all day on Christmas Eve. Betty’s will be open from 8am and the garden centre (except the glasshouse) will be open as usual.”
Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough has said it will be closing slightly earlier than scheduled on Christmas Eve due to the weather warning.
A yellow weather warning is in place with gusts of up to 66mph forecast in the Harrogate district.
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Met Office issues Christmas Eve wind warning for Harrogate district
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning across the Harrogate district for Christmas Eve.
The forecast shows Masham and Pateley Bridge will see the worst of it, with gusts up to 53mph, while Harrogate will see 51mph winds in the early hours of the morning.
Knaresborough, Ripon and Boroughbridge could see up to 50mph.
The warning, which is active from 8am to 10pm, covers the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland.
It comes just days after Storm Pia brought 60mph winds to the district.
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Rare mother of pearl clouds above Harrogate and Knaresborough
Nacreous clouds, a rare and very high cloud formation, covered the Harrogate district skies this morning.
The iridescent clouds, which are also knows as mother of pearl clouds, were spotted by readers just after sunrise.
The Met Office says the clouds, which usually form over polar regions when the sun is just below the horizon, are some of the highest clouds on earth – between 20km and 30km high in the stratosphere.
The sky over Knaresborough this morning. Pic: Emma Meadus
They require low temperatures to form, so are generally only visible when the cold air which circulates around polar regions in the stratosphere is displaced and hovers over the UK.
They are mostly associated with dry and cold weather.
The Harrogate sky just after 9am. Pic: Anna Mcintee.
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Storm Pia to bring 61mph gusts to Harrogate district
The Harrogate district could see gusts of up to 61mph as Storm Pia moves in tonight and tomorrow.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning from midnight tonight until 9pm tomorrow.
The forecast shows Pateley Bridge will see the worst of the storm, with gusts reaching 61mph in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
Winds will reach 54mph in Masham, while Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon will see up to 50mph.
Disruption
The Stray Ferret reported yesterday on the disruption already caused by the wind throughout the Harrogate district — now another local attraction has followed suit.
The National Trust announced on social media today that Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, will also be closed tomorrow. It said:
“It’s already getting rather breezy here at Fountains. With wind speeds set to increase overnight and throughout tomorrow we’ve made the decision to close the site tomorrow, Thursday 21 December.
“We don’t like to disappoint anyone, but the safety of our visitors and team is always our top priority.”
The charity advised people to “check our social media channels and website” for updates.
It comes after Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough announced yesterday it will close tomorrow, while Harrogate’s RHS Garden Harlow Carr cancelled its Glow event amid the weather warning.
The weather warning is in place for the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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