Storm Pedro, a weather system named by France’s national meteorological agency, Meteo France, swept into Western Europe this week, bringing a mix of snow, heavy rain, and powerful winds that have affected millions across the UK, France, and beyond. Though its most severe impacts have been felt on the continent, particularly in flood-hit regions of France, the UK has not been spared bouts of disruptive winter weather and travel headaches.
Forecasters first raised the alarm about Storm Pedro early in the week, with Meteo France predicting that the system would have a “drastic effect” in France. The UK’s Met Office, meanwhile, moved swiftly to issue a series of yellow weather warnings for Wednesday, February 18, and Thursday, February 19, covering much of Wales, central England, the southern Pennines, Northern Ireland, and southern England. These warnings signaled the arrival of rain, snow, ice, and strong winds—and the potential for travel disruption, power outages, and hazardous conditions.
“There is the potential for an area of rain and snow to affect parts of Wales, central England and into the southern Pennines during Wednesday evening and overnight into Thursday,” the Met Office said, as quoted by multiple outlets including The Guardian and Sky News. Ice was likely to develop on untreated surfaces, especially in parts of Wales and western England, and the wintry mix was expected to gradually clear eastward by Thursday morning, with temperatures dipping close to or below freezing.
In Northern Ireland, a rain and snow warning was in effect from 4am to 8pm on Wednesday. Forecasters anticipated outbreaks of rain, hill snow, and strong southeasterly winds gusting between 45 and 55 miles per hour, particularly during the morning hours. Rainfall totals of 10 to 15 millimeters were widely predicted, with some southern and western areas bracing for up to 30 millimeters. According to the Met Office, "An area of rain, falling as snow over some high ground, will move slowly east across much of Northern Ireland during Wednesday, before tending to ease later in the day." Snow was expected to accumulate mainly on higher ground above 250 meters, especially over the Sperrins, though little lying snow was anticipated overall.
Southern England faced its own weather woes, with a yellow warning for heavy rain stretching from Cornwall to Kent until 8am Thursday. The Met Office forecast 10 to 20 millimeters of rain widely, with up to 30 millimeters near the south coast and as much as 50 millimeters possible in Dartmoor, Devon. Strong east to northeasterly winds threatened to exacerbate the situation and large waves were expected to batter some east-facing coasts, particularly along the English Channel.
While the snow was mostly forecast for the hills, the Met Office and meteorologists at Sky News cautioned that the weather could still cause significant travel disruption. There was a slight chance of vehicles and passengers being stranded on roads, as well as delayed or cancelled rail and air travel. Rural communities faced a small risk of power cuts or outages to phone services. Residents were advised to prepare flood kits with torches, batteries, mobile phone power packs, and other essentials in case of emergencies.
Despite the gloomy midweek outlook, forecasters offered a glimmer of hope for the weekend. Dr. Chris England, meteorologist at Sky News, explained, “The jet stream has been to the south of the UK recently, allowing high pressure over Scandinavia to feed cold air from northern Europe across Britain and, to a lesser extent, Ireland and Northern Ireland. But it will move north over the next few days, with a much milder Atlantic flow developing. The rain and snow will mostly clear tomorrow, with milder air following. Expect more rain on Friday.” By Saturday, temperatures were expected to reach highs of 13 to 14 degrees Celsius in Exeter and the low-to-mid teens elsewhere, marking a welcome respite from the cold.
Still, the cold snap prompted health officials to issue a cold health alert for much of England on Tuesday, February 17, running until 6pm on Friday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that the cold weather posed “a greater risk to life of vulnerable people” and could lead to increased use of healthcare services. A recent UKHSA report linked more than 2,500 deaths last winter to cold weather, with most occurring during a six-day cold spell in January 2025. The report noted that cold-associated deaths were recorded in all regions except the North East.
As Storm Pedro moved on, its effects were felt even more acutely across the Channel. In France, persistent winds of 100 kilometers per hour or more battered the southwest, with gales possibly reaching 140 km/h around Perpignan and the eastern Pyrénées overnight into Thursday, according to Météo France. Four departments in western France—Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, and Maine-et-Loire—remained on red alert for flooding as of Wednesday, while nine others were under orange alert for rain and flooding. France’s national flood monitoring service reported that soil moisture had reached its highest level since records began in 1959, and around 1,700 people had been evacuated in Lot-et-Garonne since February 10 due to rising waters.
Angers, a mid-western city, saw roads along the Maine river deliberately flooded to relieve pressure elsewhere, with Mayor Christophe Béchu describing the flooding as the highest in 25 years. Floodwaters spread hundreds of meters beyond the riverbanks, and in La Réole, Gironde, the drinking water network was disrupted by high river levels. France has now been under orange or red weather alerts somewhere in the country for 30 consecutive days, underscoring the severity and persistence of this winter’s storms.
Meanwhile, Storm Pedro’s reach extended to Spain and Portugal, where the Spanish weather agency AEMET predicted snowstorms and winds of around 75 miles per hour in some parts of Spain. Parts of Germany and western France also experienced significant flooding due to the relentless rainfall, with homes and villages inundated and transport networks disrupted.
For residents across the UK and Western Europe, Storm Pedro has been a potent reminder of the power—and unpredictability—of winter weather. As communities brace for further rain and wind, and look forward to milder days, the storm’s aftermath will linger in the form of flooded fields, battered coastlines, and a renewed focus on preparedness for whatever the next system brings.