Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: South West England, West Midlands

Start time estimate: Monday midnight

End time estimate: Monday 3pm

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain warning for South West England and West Midlands for Monday. All local areas affected are listed below.

The regions will be impacted by heavy downpours, which is predicted to start pouring on Monday at around midnight before tapering off at 3pm.

The Yellow warning for rain was announced at 10:44am on Friday, November 28.

A Met Office forecast said: “A band of heavy rain will move in from the southwest late on Sunday evening, becoming widespread across the region during the first half Monday, before clearing to the east later in the day. Rainfall accumulations will vary across the region, but 20-30 mm of rain may accumulate quite widely. As much as 60-80 mm of rain could build up across the high ground of Dartmoor, and perhaps 40-50 mm of rain could accumulate across the higher parts of Exmoor, Dorset, the Mendips and Cotswolds. Strong southwesterly winds will accompany the rainfall, particularly near English Channel coasts.”

What to expect

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; There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads; There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

What should you do during intense 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

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

West Midlands
Herefordshire

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 Monday.