The Met Office has extended the coverage of today’s weather warning to include more regions as a large part of the country prepares for heavy rainfall.
A yellow rain warning is in effect from 9 am to 10 pm, encompassing 47 areas. This warning has been expanded to include sections of East England and the Midlands, in addition to the already listed regions in South East and South West England. According to the Met Office, rain outbreaks will move northeastward across England and Wales, becoming persistent and intense at times before tapering off in the evening and overnight.
Potential impacts of the heavy rain include possible flooding of homes and businesses, disruptions to bus and train services, and longer journey times due to spray and flooding on roads. Individuals are advised to assess the risk of flooding to their property and prepare a flood plan along with an emergency flood kit. The Met Office also recommends readiness for potential power outages by gathering essentials such as torches and a mobile phone power pack.
Rainfall amounts of 20mm to 30mm are anticipated across a wide area, with some locations experiencing this volume within a few hours. Certain isolated areas, especially in southern England, could see accumulations of up to 50mm.
The Met Office warns that heavy rain on saturated ground may result in surface water flooding on Thursday. Later in the day, strong winds are expected to affect parts of southern and southeast England, with gusts of up to 50mph possible along exposed coastlines.
The rain alert is currently the sole warning issued by the Met Office for today. The forecast indicates that heavy rain accompanied by strong winds will progress northward and eastward across central, southern, and eastern England, as well as eastern Wales.
In other regions, sunshine and scattered showers are predicted. Rain and strong winds are projected to clear eastward from England during the early part of the night, leaving clear skies across the UK with some showers in the western areas.
Looking ahead to Friday, the forecast suggests early frost and fog clearing to reveal sunshine and showers. Showers are expected to be most intense and frequent in the west and southwest, with a chance of hail and thunder. Breezy conditions are likely, particularly in the southwest.