Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: East of England, London and South East England

Start time estimate: Tuesday midnight

End time estimate: Tuesday noon

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain warning for East of England and London and South East England for Tuesday. All local areas affected are listed below.

The regions will be affected by intense rain, which is expected to start pouring on Tuesday at around midnight before clearing at noon.

The Yellow alert for rain was issued at 10:49am on Sunday, January 25.

A Met Office forecast said: “Spells of heavy rain are expected during Monday night through to Tuesday morning. 15-25 mm of rain is expected to build up widely across the area with a few areas potentially seeing 30-40 mm and as much as 50 mm over some hills.”

What to expect

Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer; Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer; Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible; Some interruption to power supplies and other services possible.

What should you do during heavy 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 regions affected

East of England
Thurrock

London and South East England
Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Greater London, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham

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 noon on Tuesday.