Warning: Yellow
To expect: Rain
Affected areas: East Midlands, East of England, Yorkshire and Humber
Start time estimate: Thursday 6pm
End time estimate: Friday 9pm
The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain warning for several regions across the UK for Thursday and Friday.
The warning is covering parts of East Midlands, East of England, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
Persistent rain is set to impact the regions, beginning at approximately 6pm on Thursday and clearing by 9pm on Friday.
The Yellow warning for rain was issued at 12:20pm on Wednesday, January 7.
A Met Office forecast said: “Outbreaks of rain will arrive from the south on Thursday evening then persist overnight and through Friday, heavy at times, before slowly easing during Friday evening. 20-30 mm rainfall is likely quite widely, with a small chance of 40-60 mm in a few places, leading to the chance of some flooding and disruption. In addition, rain may turn to sleet or wet snow at times which may lead to some accumulations in places, more especially over inland parts of Lincolnshire. Strong winds, especially near coasts, will be an additional hazard with winds gusting 40-50 mph at times and leading to large waves through Friday.”
What to expect
Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures; There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads; Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services; There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.
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 areas affected
East Midlands
Lincolnshire
East of England
Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Peterborough, Suffolk
Yorkshire and Humber
North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire
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 9pm on Friday.