Who named Storm Henk? Met Office issues weather warning, 1 dead after strong winds uproot tree in Gloucestershire

One person has reportedly died after being crushed in their car by an uprooted tree during Storm Henk. On January 2, 2023, emergency services rushed to Gloucestershire at 3:15 pm after an uprooted tree reportedly landed on top of two cars on a county road in the Cotswolds.

According to The Daily Mail, one car was completely crushed, while the other car, a white Kia, had minor damage. An unidentified person inside one of the cars was pronounced dead at the scene.

Storm Henk, named by the Met Office, ravaged parts of southern Britain, bringing high-speed winds with gusts of up to 98mph and heavy rain.

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Storm Henk was named by the Met Office and is the first official storm of 2024

At 2:30 pm on January 2, 2024, the Met Office posted on social media that the new storm would be named "Storm Henk" and that it was predicted to bring very strong winds and heavy rains to parts of southern London throughout the day.

According to the Met Office website, an Amber severe weather warning for wind was issued in southern England, the south Midlands, and East Anglia from 10 am to 8 pm on January 2. The Met Office predicted that these parts would receive 50-60mph gusts.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen noted:

“Storm Henk will initially bring very strong winds to the southwest of England and Southern Wales, with gusts of up to 80mph possible. As Storm Henk moves north-eastwards across the south of the UK through Tuesday the strongest winds will also move eastwards, across the south Midlands, Home Counties and East Anglia through the afternoon and evening.”

A Yellow warning for rain was also issued for the areas of England and Wales, with 15-30mm of rainfall predicted in these areas.

As per the Met Office, storms are named to ensure easier communication during the course of the storm. Each year, the public is encouraged to submit a list of names to the Met Office, which is then shortlisted by the Met Office, Met Éireann (the Irish Meteorological Service), and KNMI (the Dutch National Weather Forecasting Service).

The names run through the entire English alphabet, excluding the letters q, u, x, y, and z, to maintain the standard set by the US National Hurricane Center naming conventions.

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Storm Henk wreaked havoc in the UK the day after the New Year

According to The Daily Mail, Storm Henk's high-speed winds caused several trees to be uprooted, and one such uprooting reportedly claimed the life of a person as the tree crashed on top of their car.

The incident happened on A433 Tetbury Road, eight miles north of Malmesbury, Wiltshire, at around 3:15 pm on Tuesday. As per the Mirror, The Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter and a Wiltshire Air Ambulance critical care car were called to the scene to help along with the police and fire services.

The tree reportedly crushed two cars, one identified as a white Kia, which sustained minor damage. A person trapped in one of the crushed cars allegedly died on the scene.

The A433 Tetbury Road is closed until further notice as police and forensic experts continue their investigation.

This isn't the only case of uprooting caused by Storm Henk. According to The Guardian, the Metropolitan Police said that a woman was struck by a falling tree in south-east London. She was immediately rushed to the hospital and reportedly sustained minor injuries.

The storm's ferocity caused several roads, bridges and rail lines to be blocked. According to the Daily Mail, nearly 100,000 homes suffered from power loss.

Gusts of 94mph blew through the Isle of Wight. Exeter Airport reportedly faced gusts of 81mph, which BBC meteorologist David Braine said were the strongest winds the airport faced since the Burns Day storm of January 25, 1990.

Heavy rains accompanied the ferocious winds with 75mm recorded in Devon over 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday evenings. 213 flood warnings were issued for England and one severe flood warning for Wales. The aftermath of the storm left several parts of England and Wales flooded.

Flooding along river Severn after Storm Henk (Image via Getty Images)

Londoners were warned to stay indoors and not venture out till necessary as forecasters predicted that the storm would bring "very wild outdoor conditions." Mayor Sadiq Khan warned people of "potential risk to life and property."

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Storm Henk is the second storm to hit the UK this past week, as Storm Gerrit blew through the country on December 27, 2023, bringing heavy rains, winds, and snow to parts of Scotland and Wales.