Met Office issues four yellow weather warnings as Storm Elin & Storm Fergus bring more heavy rain

Storm Elin and Storm Fergus continue to bring unsettled conditions to the UK as the Met Office issues fresh yellow weather warnings. Extreme weather brought on by a rain deluge has taken Brits by surprise as stormy conditions are forecast to continue through the start of next week into Wednesday.

The Met Office warnings for heavy rain are in place in the north, north-east and south-west of Scotland. Meanwhile in England, most of the north-west of England and West Yorkshire have been issued warnings.

For parts of England, the warnings will continue until Monday morning whereas Scotland will remain under weather warnings until Wednesday morning. It comes as stormy conditions battered Britain on Saturday (December 9) with separate warnings issued for wind and rain.

Dozens of flood warnings were put in place throughout the weekend as Storm Elin and Fergus - named by Ireland's meteorological service, Met Eireann - ushered in gale force winds across the UK and Ireland.

Brits are being warned to expect travel delays, with road, rail, air and ferry transport affected while weather warnings are in place. Coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities are also set to be affected by spray and large waves, the Met Office said.

There are currently 43 flood warnings and 223 flood alerts, which are less severe, in place across England. Chief meteorologist Andy Page, Met Office, said the UK can expect 'wet and windy weather' this weekend, adding that wind and rain “could be disruptive at times”.

What does a yellow weather warning mean?

The Met Office go by three commonly used colours when it comes to classifying weather warnings; yellow, amber and red. They vary largely on how severe the conditions are expected to be.

Yellow weather warnings are issued for a range of situations that are likely to cause low-level impact, such as travel disruption, to a limited area or region. They mean that people can continue on with they day-to-day-life as normal. Other yellow warnings can also be issued when extreme weather is capable of causing an impact on most, but where the certainty of this is expected to be much lower.

When will it stop raining in the UK?

The latest Met Office forecast predicts rain will move in from the west by Sunday afternoon. During this period sunny spells are predicted in the south. The Met Office forecasts that some parts of the UK will be dry on Monday (December 11) but showers will develop across all parts with strong winds in the south. Conditions are expected to be settled again by Wednesday, according to the forecaster. 

From Thursday (December 13) wet and windy conditions will remain in the north while the weather continues to clear up for the much of the south of England - particularly the southeast. The wettest weather is likely across Scotland and occasionally parts of Northern Ireland and northwest England, the Met Office predicts.