Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: North West England

Start time estimate: Sunday 11am

End time estimate: Sunday 8pm

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain warning for North West England for Sunday.

Intense rain is forecast to hit the region, approaching the area on Sunday at around 11am and continuing until 8pm.

The Yellow alert for rain was announced at 11:52am on Saturday, February 22.

A Met Office forecast said: “A spell of heavy rain will affect Cumbria on Sunday. The rain will set in during the morning and not clear until evening. The rain will be heaviest over higher parts of the Lake District where 60-80mm of rain is likely. Across the warning area as a whole, 30-40mm is likely to accumulate widely.”

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 likely.

What should you do during intense showers?

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 place until 8pm on Sunday.