Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

Affected areas: North East England, North West England, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Yorkshire and Humber

Start time estimate: Friday 4pm

End time estimate: Saturday 12am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain warning for several regions across the UK for Friday and Saturday.

The warning is covering parts of North East England, North West England, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.

Heavy downpours is forecast to hit the regions, arriving across the areas on Friday at around 4pm and continuing until Saturday 12am.

The Yellow warning for rain was issued at 11:46am on Thursday, October 2.

A Met Office forecast said: “Following a recent spell of heavy rainfall, a further period of heavy rainfall is expected Friday afternoon and evening. Rain will arrive from the west on Friday afternoon, and continue into the evening, with the potential for a short period of very heavy rainfall in the evening. During this time 10-20 mm of rain will fall widely, with 40-70 mm over areas of high ground exposed to the southwesterly winds. 15-20 mm could fall within 1 hour in some locations. Drier conditions will follow in the early hours of Saturday, although a few short-lived heavy showers will remain in the area. Strong gusty winds will accompany the rain, and these via things such as the increased leaf fall potentially blocking drains will increase the risk of impacts.”

What to expect

Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely; Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer; Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer; Some interruption to power supplies and other services likely.

What should you do during persistent 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

North East England
Durham, Northumberland

North West England
Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders

Yorkshire and Humber
North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire

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 12am on Saturday.