Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: London and South East England, South West England, Wales

Start time estimate: Wednesday 1am

End time estimate: Wednesday 3pm

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain warning for London and South East England, South West England and Wales for Wednesday.

The warning is covering parts of London and South East England, South West England, Wales. All local areas affected are listed below.

Persistent rain is projected to soak the regions, arriving across the areas on Wednesday at around 1am and lasting until 3pm.

The Yellow alert for rain was issued at 10:55am on Tuesday, September 2.

A Met Office forecast said: “Heavy rain and strong winds will move northeast through the first part of Wednesday, followed by heavy showers and some thunderstorms, these becoming more isolated through the afternoon. Rainfall totals widely 20-30 mm, but some places could see 40-60 mm within a period of 6-9 hours. Coastal gales are likely for a time, especially along English Channel coasts.”

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 is possible.

What should you do during intense rain?

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

London and South East England
Hampshire, Southampton, West Berkshire

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

Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, 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 3pm on Wednesday.