(Bloomberg) -- UK wind power output is set to hit a fresh record this weekend as Storm Ashley is sweeping in from the Atlantic Ocean.
Strong gusts, on Sunday in particular, are set to push generation from wind turbines above 22 gigawatts for the first time, according to a Bloomberg Model. The Met Office has put in place wind warnings from Sunday morning through Monday morning in parts of Scotland, England and Wales.
The storm, named by Ireland’s meteorological service Met Eireann, is coinciding with low weekend demand for energy, likely resulting in a plunge in near-term power prices. Wind output is then forecast to dip at the start of next week before picking back up again next Thursday.
If the current record from January last year is exceeded, it probably won’t last very long as the nation is continuously expanding its fleet of wind farms. The government aims to quadruple wind power production capacity from offshore facilities by the end of the decade.
While the gusts from Storm Ashley will result in strong wind power generation, precise figures are difficult to predict, even a couple days ahead of time. The actual output may therefore fall short of a record.
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