Warning: Yellow
To expect: Rain
Affected areas: East Midlands, East of England, Yorkshire and Humber
Start time estimate: Thursday 1am
End time estimate: Thursday 10pm
The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain warning for several regions across the UK for Thursday, with conditions linked to Storm Benjamin.
The warning is covering parts of East Midlands, East of England, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
Heavy rainfall will batter the regions. The rainfall is forecast to arrive across the areas on Thursday at around 1am, and it will continue raining until 10pm.
The Yellow warning for rain was issued at 6:46pm on Wednesday, October 22.
A Met Office forecast said: “Storm Benjamin is expected to bring heavy rain to this area on Thursday. Confidence in the precise track of the storm remains lower than usual for this type of weather system, which leads to continued uncertainty over the location of highest rainfall totals. That said, totals are expected to widely reach 20-30 mm within the warning area, with some places seeing 30-50 mm. There is also a very low chance of a more developed system bringing very isolated rainfall totals of 60-90 mm. In association with the rain, conditions are expected to turn windy, with gales initially for coastal areas but becoming more widespread during the morning.”
What to expect
Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures; There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses; There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services; There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads.
What should you do during intense showers?
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
East Midlands
Lincolnshire
East of England
Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Peterborough, Suffolk
Yorkshire and Humber
East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire
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 10pm on Thursday.