Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: London and South East England, South West England

Start time estimate: Wednesday 6am

End time estimate: Thursday 8am

The Met Office has announced a Yellow rain warning for London and South East England as well as South West England for Wednesday and Thursday. All local areas affected are listed below.

Persistent rain is forecast for the regions, expected to start at approximately 6am on Wednesday and lasting until Thursday at 8am.

The Yellow warning for rain was announced at 10:18am on Tuesday, February 17.

A Met Office forecast said: “Spells of rain, some heavy, will affect southern parts of England during Wednesday and overnight into Thursday, whilst some snow is also likely over higher ground, chiefly during Wednesday night. 10-20 mm of rain is expected quite widely with a few places near the south coast seeing 20-30 mm and perhaps as much as 50 mm over Dartmoor. Strong east to northeasterly winds will accompany the rain and/or snow, which could exacerbate impacts in places. Large waves could affect some east-facing coasts, especially along the English Channel.”

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 possible.

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 regions affected

London and South East England
Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Wokingham

South West England
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Isles of Scilly, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Wiltshire

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 8am on Thursday.