Warning: Yellow
To expect: Rain
Affected areas: London and South East England, South West England
Start time estimate: Thursday noon
End time estimate: Friday 3am
The Met Office has announced an updated Yellow rain warning for London and South East England as well as South West England for Thursday and Friday. All local areas affected are listed below.
Persistent rain will hit the regions. The downpour is anticipated to arrive across the areas on Thursday at around noon, and it will persist until Friday 3am.
The updated Yellow warning for rain was announced at 10:37am on Wednesday, January 28.
A Met Office forecast said: “A band of rain will arrive across Cornwall on Thursday afternoon then move northeast across the warning area through the evening and clearing during early Friday. The rain is only likely to last for a few hours in any one location but will be at heavy at times. A further 10-15 mm of rain is expected fairly widely, but some locations, most likely in the south of the area, could see 20-25 mm. The likelihood of impacts from these rainfall amounts is higher than normal due to saturated ground and ongoing flooding following Storm Chandra.”
What to expect
Spray and flooding on roads will make journey times longer; Bus and train services affected with journey times taking longer; Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely.
What should you do during heavy rainfall?
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. 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 regions affected
London and South East England
Hampshire
South West England
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Wiltshire
What is an updated 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 3am on Friday.