Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: South West England

Start time estimate: Monday 6am

End time estimate: Monday 11pm

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain alert for South West England for Monday.

Heavy downpours is set to hit the region, beginning at approximately 6am on Monday and clearing by 11pm.

The Yellow warning for rain was issued at 10:18am on Sunday, December 14.

A Met Office forecast said: “A band of rain is likely to become slow-moving across parts of southwest England during Monday. Whilst there is still some uncertainty in how quickly this rain slowly moves east across the region, 20-40 mm of rain could fall quite widely with some places seeing 60 mm. Given the recent wet weather and saturated ground, the likelihood of impacts is higher.”

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 likely; Some interruption to power supplies and other services possible.

What should you do during persistent 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.

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 11pm on Monday.