The Met Office has extended the coverage of today’s weather warning to include a wider area as a large portion of the country prepares for heavy rainfall.
A yellow rain warning is in effect from 9 am until 10 pm, encompassing 47 regions. The warning has been expanded to include parts of East England and the Midlands, in addition to areas in South East and South West England that were already under the alert. The Met Office predicts that rain showers will move northeastward across England and Wales, becoming persistent and heavy at times before gradually easing off in the evening and overnight.
Potential consequences of the heavy rain include possible flooding in homes and businesses, disruptions to bus and train services, and longer journey times due to spray and flooding on roads. Residents are advised to check if their properties are at risk of flooding and to prepare a flood plan along with an emergency flood kit. Additionally, the Met Office recommends being ready for potential power outages by gathering torches, a mobile phone power pack, and other essential items.
Rainfall amounts of 20mm to 30mm are anticipated across widespread areas, with some regions expected to receive this volume in just a few hours. Certain isolated spots, especially in southern England, could experience accumulations of up to 50mm.
The Met Office warns that heavy rain on already saturated ground may result in surface water flooding on Thursday. Later in the day, strong winds are also forecasted to affect parts of southern and southeast England, with gusts of up to 50mph possible along exposed coastlines.
The rain warning is currently the sole alert issued by the Met Office for today. The forecast indicates that heavy rain showers, accompanied by strong winds, will move across central, southern, and eastern England, as well as eastern Wales.
In other areas, sunshine and scattered showers are expected. The rain and strong winds are projected to clear eastwards from England during the early part of the night, leaving clear skies across the UK with some showers in the western regions.
Looking ahead to Friday, the forecast predicts early frost and fog clearing to give way to sunshine and showers. Showers are likely to be most intense and frequent in the west and southwest, with the possibility of hail and thunder. Breezy conditions, especially in the southwest, are also anticipated.