Storm Ciara was a powerful and long-lived extratropical cyclone that was the first of a pair of European windstorms to affect the United Kingdom and Ireland at peak intensity less than a week apart in early February 2020, followed by Storm Dennis a week later. Ciara caused widespread wind and flooding damage across Europe, and at least 13 fatalities. The system emerged into the North Atlantic and underwent explosive cyclogenesis; the first severe weather warnings were issued for the United Kingdom and Ireland on 4 February well in advance of the storm's arrival. It was officially named Ciara by the Met Office the following day, becoming the twelfth named storm of the 2019–20 European windstorm season. Ciara subsequently made landfall in northern Scotland on 9 February and Norway the next day. The precursor low named Winter Storm Kade by The Weather Channel brought heavy snowfall to the northern United States and eastern Canada, especially Newfoundland, New England and New York; further south in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S., flooding and tornadoes were reported. The worst effects from Ciara were felt in Ireland and the United Kingdom, where the storm arrived over the weekend of 8–9 February, bringing high winds and heavy rainfall that caused severe damage, widespread flooding, and three fatalities in the latter country. As Ciara moved across northern Europe with an unusually large wind field, eight further fatalities were recorded in a wide range of countries in mainland Europe, including as far away as Slovenia.
Meteorological history
On 4 February, the Met Office issued a yellow warning for wind for the following weekend for a potential storm, covering all of the United Kingdom. At the time, no name was issued for the system involved. The storm was formally named Ciara by the Met Office in the United Kingdom, Sabine by the Deutscher Wetterdienst in Germany, and Elsa by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Norway. It formed out of a weak area of low pressure emerging into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern United States earlier that day; the precursor system had previously brought heavy snowfall to large tracts of the United States and Eastern Canada, while tornadoes were reported across the southern and mid-Atlantic states. The precursor system further developed over the northeastern United States, bringing 80 mph (130 km/h) wind gusts to coastal New England on 7 February.
Preparations and impact
North America
On February 4 and 5, snow fell in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri; locally peaking at 14 inches (36 cm) in Jayton, Texas. 9,000 customers lost power in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, where several school districts, colleges and universities closed due to the inclement weather. Scattered school closures also occurred in Texas and Missouri. A major collision closed the Westbound lane of I-70 near Rocheport, Missouri. In the Southeast, severe weather claimed the lives of 5 people and left 250,000 without power. A PDS-Tornado Warning was issued for Charlotte, North Carolina as a tornado touched down nearby. Those at Charlotte Douglas International Airport were advised to move away from windows. Severe thunderstorms produced wind gusts up to 76 miles per hour (122 km/h) in Florida, capable of toppling a crane near Tampa. Several inches of rain fell, causing severe flash flooding across the Carolinas and Virginia. A flash flood emergency was issued in Tazewell County due to the flooding. In total, 16 tornadoes touched down as a result of the outbreak. Over a foot of snow fell in northern New England. A severe ice storm also struck the Albany, New York metropolitan area, leaving 140,000 residents without power. 16 million across 6 provinces in Canada were impacted by this storm. By the time it had reached them, its precipation shield exceeded 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) across. Powerful wind gusts, exceeding 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) at times, left tens of thousands without power across the region.
United Kingdom
On 4 February, the Met Office issued a yellow warning for wind for the following weekend for a potential storm, covering all of the United Kingdom. At the time, no name was issued for the system involved. The following day, the storm was formally named Ciara by the Met Office. For 9 February, an amber wind warning for much of England was issued, with the rest of the United Kingdom remaining under a yellow wind warning. The agency forecasted wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph (80 to 97 km/h) across the country, with the possibility of gusts up to 80 mph (130 km/h) along coastal regions.
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