Warning: Yellow

To expect: Rain

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

Start time estimate: Monday 8am

End time estimate: Tuesday 11am

The Met Office has issued a Yellow rain alert for London and South East England and South West England until Tuesday midday.

The warning is covering parts of London and South East England, South West England. All local areas affected are listed below.

Intense showers are forecast for the regions, expected to continue lashing the areas until around 11am on Tuesday.

The Yellow warning for rain was announced at 8:58am on Monday, January 27.

A Met Office forecast said: “The strong winds will drive in a succession of showers, some of them heavy, through Monday and Monday night, before slowly easing during Tuesday morning. With the ground so wet, these are likely to produce or sustain some flooding impacts, primarily affecting road travel. Additional hazards could include further lightning strikes, and hail making road conditions dangerous.”

What to expect

Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer; Bus and train services may be affected by longer journey times; Some interruption to power supplies and other services may occur; Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible.

What should you do during heavy rain?

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: the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area. Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. For further details see https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings.

Full list of local areas affected

London and South East England
Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, Surrey, West Sussex

South West England
Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Isles of Scilly, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, 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 11am on Tuesday.