Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: South West England, Wales

Start time estimate: Thursday 8am

End time estimate: Thursday 4pm

The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain warning for South West England and Wales until early Thursday evening. All local areas affected are listed below.

Persistent rain is set to impact the regions, beginning at around 8am on Thursday and dying out by 4pm.

The Yellow alert for rain was issued at 4:38am on Thursday, January 22.

A Met Office forecast said: “Frequent showers and some longer spells of rain, heavy at times, are likely during Thursday. 5 to 15 mm is likely to fall widely in a few hours, with up to 20 mm in a few places. Given saturated ground, this may lead to some flooding and transport disruption. The heaviest of the rain will clear northeastwards by late afternoon.”

What to expect

Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer; Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer.

What should you do during heavy downpours?

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 areas affected

South West England
Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire

Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, 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 effect until 4pm on Thursday.