Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected area: Multiple, listed below

Start time estimate: Saturday 10am

End time estimate: Sunday 7am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain alert for several regions across the UK for Saturday and Sunday.

The warning is covering parts of Central, Tayside and Fife, North East England, North West England, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde, Wales, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.

Persistent rain is forecast for the regions, expected to start at around 10am on Saturday and lasting until Sunday at 7am.

The Yellow warning for rain was announced at 11:27am on Thursday, September 18.

A Met Office forecast said: “Rainfall will spread northeastwards on Saturday, and become persistent and at times heavy. Through this period 20-40 mm of rain is expected to fall widely, with some locations perhaps seeing 75-100 mm, with much of this total falling in the later hours of the event. From mid-Saturday onwards, increasingly strong gusty winds and perhaps some thunder will also accompany the rainfall, further increasing the risk of disruption. By the early hours of Sunday, persistent heavy rain will have likely cleared from Wales, with this rain easing for Northern England and Scotland by dawn on Sunday morning. Showers then follow and winds remain strong through Sunday.”

What to expect

There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life; Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services; 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.

What should you do during heavy downpours?

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

Central, Tayside and Fife
Falkirk, Fife

North East England
Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland

North West England
Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cheshire West and Chester, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Halton, Lancashire, Merseyside, Warrington

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian

Strathclyde
East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire

Wales
Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Wrexham

Yorkshire and Humber
North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire

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 7am on Sunday.