The Royal Cornwall Show has been forced to cancel its final day with “great regret” as unseasonably strong winds of up to 55mph batter the south coast, prompting a Met Office yellow warning for wind covering the south west and parts of the south east.
The Met Office said the warning is in place from 9am to 7pm on Saturday, with gusty conditions already arriving across western Cornwall during the morning and moving eastwards across the county, English Channel coastal districts and the Isle of Wight, before reaching Sussex by mid-afternoon. Forecasters warned people in coastal areas to be cautious of large waves caused by the strong winds.
“Met Office yellow wind warning as 55mph gusts force Royal Cornwall Show cancellation and threaten travel.”
Organisers of the Royal Cornwall Show said the decision to axe the event’s final day followed a “thorough assessment of forecast weather conditions”. The Met Office cautioned that the windy weather could bring power outages and travel disruption, with gusts of 45-50 mph likely widely along coasts and more generally across Cornwall, reaching up to 55 mph in a few exposed places.
Chief Meteorologist Chris Bulmer said: “Over the next few days we’ll continue to see a fairly changeable picture, with a mix of sunshine and showers for many. Into the weekend, a more organised area of rain and stronger winds will move across the UK, although this system is likely to weaken as it does so.”
The strong winds and wet weather are expected to last until Saturday evening, but a brighter picture is forecast for Sunday. The Met Office said drier and warmer weather is expected towards the South East.