Storm Claudia: As amber weather warning issued, when will storm hit UK shores and which areas are affected?
Parts of the UK could be flooded this weekend as an amber weather warning is issued by the Met Office.
Storm Claudia, which was given its name by the Spanish meteorological service, arrives in the UK with strong downpours and heavy winds for most of the country.
Some areas could see up to 80mm of rain, with deep floodwater causing a danger to life.
The weather warning is in place from noon until the end of the day and covers parts of Wales, the Midlands, south west, south east and east of England.
A separate yellow warning for rain covers much of England, from Cheshire and North Yorkshire down to the south coast, for a 24-hour period from 6am on Friday, while an additional warning for winds of up to 70mph in some western areas of the UK is in place from noon until midnight.
The Met Office said the weather may lead to power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings - and have urged anyone travelling to be cautious on the roads or public transport.
Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “Storm Claudia will bring very heavy rainfall to a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday.
“This rain will become slow moving and some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours. Much of this will fall on saturated ground, increasing the chances of flooding and contributing to the amber warnings we have issued.
“Within the amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event, with 60-80mm fairly widely.
“Gusty winds in the north-west of England and north-west Wales is an additional hazard, with 60-70mph gusts possible in exposed places within the warning area.”