Definition
Storm Arwen was an extratropical cyclone that affected the United Kingdom and Ireland in early November 2021, producing high winds, heavy snowfall, and widespread disruption to transport and power infrastructure.
Overview
The storm formed over the North Atlantic on 4 November 2021 and was named “Arwen” by the Met Office’s weather naming system for significant UK and Ireland windstorms. It made landfall on the eastern coast of England on 5 November, subsequently moving north‑eastward across the country and into Scotland. The system caused severe wind gusts exceeding 90 mph (145 km h⁻¹) in coastal areas, heavy snowfall in the Scottish Highlands, and led to the cancellation of rail services, road closures, and extensive power outages affecting tens of thousands of households. The storm was part of a broader pattern of active weather in the North Atlantic during the 2021/2022 winter season.
Etymology/Origin
The name “Arwen” was selected from the Met Office’s predetermined list of storm names for the 2021‑2022 season. The list is compiled in advance by the UK Met Office and the Irish Meteorological Service (Met Éireann) and includes names intended to be easily recognizable and culturally neutral. The name itself is of Welsh origin, meaning “noble maiden,” but its selection for the storm is unrelated to the meaning and follows the naming protocol.
Characteristics
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of impact | 5–7 November 2021 |
| Peak wind gusts | Up to 97 mph (156 km h⁻¹) recorded at the Needles, Isle of Wight; 94 mph (151 km h⁻¹) at the Orkney Islands |
| Snowfall | Heavy snowfalls in the Scottish Highlands, with accumulations of 20–30 cm reported in several locations |
| Pressure | Minimum central pressure around 979 hPa as the cyclone deepened over the Atlantic |
| Affected regions | England (especially eastern and northern coasts), Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland |
| Impacts | • Approximately 30,000 households lost electricity • Multiple road and rail service suspensions • Coastal flooding and damage to infrastructure • One confirmed fatality related to the storm’s effects |
Related Topics
- European windstorm – a classification of extratropical cyclones that affect Europe, often named by national meteorological agencies.
- Met Office storm naming system – the protocol used by the UK’s Met Office and Met Éireann to assign names to significant windstorms.
- Storm Darcy – the preceding named storm of the 2021‑2022 season, which also impacted the UK in October 2021.
- 2021–2022 European windstorm season – the broader period of heightened storm activity in the North Atlantic and Europe during the winter of 2021‑2022.
- Climate variability – studies on how climate change may influence the frequency and intensity of extratropical cyclones in the North Atlantic region.