Met Office issues yellow warning for heavy rain and flooding ahead of snow forecast across UK this week

Forecasters say snow and chilly temperatures could arrive in the UK in days
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Heavy rain and winds of up to 60 mph are expected in parts of the UK on Wednesday night and Thursday which could lead to flooding, forecasters have warned.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain from 9pm today (12 January) until 5pm tomorrow (13 January) across much of South West England and Wales, and Herefordshire and Shopshire.

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The national forecaster said higher ground areas could get between 70-90 mm or more of rain, and downpours could flood homes and businesses, and cause power cuts.

The Environment Agency has issued 35 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts for areas across England (Photo: PA)The Environment Agency has issued 35 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts for areas across England (Photo: PA)
The Environment Agency has issued 35 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts for areas across England (Photo: PA)

Commuters are being warned to expect delays or cancellations on public transport, while spray and possible flooding could lead to treacherous driving conditions and road closures, the forecaster added.

Strong gusts of up to 45 mph inland and 60 mph along coastal areas and high ground are expected, with the peak in the winds “most likely on Wednesday night”. Anyone travelling on Wednesday evening is urged to “take a little extra time to make the journey a safe one” amid the “strong, gusty winds”.

The warning comes as heavy rain earlier this week has already left areas around Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, submerged in flood water.

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Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “With all that wet weather coming in, there are concerns, particularly for those areas that have already seen so much rain across western England and Wales. The wettest weather is likely to see 60-80 mm falling across the Brecon Beacons and Exmoor.”

The Environment Agency has issued 35 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts for areas across England where flooding is expected or possible, and Natural Resources Wales has issued eight flooding warnings, along parts of The River Severn, River Vyrnwy and River Teme, and 38 flood alerts.

Heavy rain and winds of up to 60 mph are expected in parts of the UK on Wednesday night (Photo: Getty Images)Heavy rain and winds of up to 60 mph are expected in parts of the UK on Wednesday night (Photo: Getty Images)
Heavy rain and winds of up to 60 mph are expected in parts of the UK on Wednesday night (Photo: Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Mark Garratt, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Continued heavy rainfall across England means that minor localised surface water and river flooding is probable in parts of the Midlands and the South West of England today, with impacts potentially continuing throughout the week. With the ground already saturated, communities in these areas should check their flood risk.

“The Environment Agency is monitoring flood levels, operating flood gates and barriers at locations across the country, and ensuring debris screens are clear from blockages to ensure communities are better protected. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30 cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.”

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The Met Office said further persistent rain will move in on Friday night and into Saturday, with the heaviest rain likely to be further north, including north Wales, northern England and Scotland.

Snow forecast this week

Heavy rain is expected to give way to snow later this week as the weather turns colder, the Met Office said. Temperatures are forecast to drop through the weekend and into next week, with the jet stream one of the driving forces behind the change.

The colder weather is expected to bring snow to some parts of the UK over the weekend and next week, including in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.

Mr McGivern added: “Next week, the jet stream is a bit more amplified and it’s coming at the UK from the northwest rather than from the west like recent days. This subtle change into the start of next week will see colder weather coming in and rather than prolonged bouts of rain from the west, we’re likely to see rain and showers coming from the northwest.

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“These showers from the north could fall as snow over the high parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland later in the weekend, and as we move through next week often below average temperatures could support a mixture of rain, hail sleet and snow. Most of any snow accumulation is likely over higher parts of the northern UK.

“On Tuesday next week, the greatest risk of snow will be across northern parts of the UK, perhaps central areas and mostly over the hills.”

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