Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: South West England, Wales

Start time estimate: Thursday 10am

End time estimate: Thursday 7pm

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain alert for South West England and Wales for Thursday. All local areas affected are listed below.

Heavy rainfall will hit the regions. The downpour is projected to arrive across the areas on Thursday at around 10am, and it will persist until 7pm.

The Yellow alert for rain was announced at 11:12am on Tuesday, December 16.

A Met Office forecast said: “An area of occasionally heavy rain will move northeast across the warning area during Thursday morning and afternoon before clearing to the east through the evening. Given recent very wet weather, there is potential for some disruption to travel and possible flooding. Much of the warning area will see 15-25 mm but some places could see 40-60 mm, with the highest totals falling over high ground of south Wales and Dartmoor. Strong winds, perhaps gusting in excess of 50 mph along some English Channel coasts, may exacerbated the impacts from rain.”

What to expect

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures; Where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services; There is a chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads; There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life; There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.

What should you do during intense rain?

Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.

Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary.

People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do: consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.

Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.

For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.

Full list of local areas affected

South West England
Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay

Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan

What is a yellow weather warning?

The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.

A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.

An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.

A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.

The Yellow weather alert for rain will remain in place until 7pm on Thursday.