Warning: Yellow
To expect: Rain
Affected areas: London and South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands
Start time estimate: Thursday 5am
End time estimate: Friday 9pm
The Met Office has announced an updated Yellow rain warning for London and South East England, South West England, Wales and West Midlands across the UK for Thursday and Friday.
The warning is covering parts of London and South East England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands. All local areas affected are listed below.
Heavy rain is forecast for the regions, expected to start at around 5am on Thursday and lasting until Friday at 9pm.
The updated Yellow warning for rain was announced at 10:00am on Thursday, February 5.
A Met Office forecast said: “An area of rain, heavy at times, will move northwards during Thursday morning. A brief drier and brighter spell may follow, but this likely to be short lived with heavy, slow moving showers through the afternoon, merging into longer spells of rain through the evening, overnight and through much of Friday. Through this event, 20-30mm is likely for many places, with some higher ground areas receiving in excess of 50mm. Given the widely saturated ground conditions, some surface water flooding is probable, with difficult driving conditions from spray, flowing water or flooded roads in particular.”
What to expect
Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer; Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer; Brief interruption to power supplies and other services is possible; Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible.
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 regions affected
London and South East England
Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, West Sussex
South West England
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Wiltshire
Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, Wrexham
West Midlands
Herefordshire, Shropshire
What is an updated 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.