Weather experts have issued a fresh warning for an extended period of torrential downpours. The Met Office warns that up to 100mm of rain could batter parts of England and Wales on Friday (November 14) and Saturday.
A yellow weather warning for rain kicks in at 6am on Friday and runs for 24 hours, until 6am on Saturday. The alert encompasses a vast swathe of England and Wales, though the North West – including Greater Manchester – is anticipated to escape the brunt of the conditions.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Heavy and prolonged rain during Friday into early Saturday may lead to some flooding and disruption.”
They continued: “Outbreaks of rain will develop through Thursday evening and night, becoming prolonged and heavy throughout Friday, before slowly easing into Saturday morning.
“Strong easterly winds will accompany this rain. Accumulations of 30-50mm are expected quite widely, with some places receiving 60-80mm, and potentially in excess of 100mm over east-facing hills in southeast Wales.
“This, following recent wet weather, could lead to some surface water and river flooding impacts.
(Image: Met Office)
“Although some uncertainty exists in the areas of heaviest rainfall, impacts appear more probable across southeast Wales, the Midlands and parts of southern England.”
The alert encompasses an area from South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, extending through the Midlands to just south of the M25 – excluding most of the South coast – and stretching west to Devon, covering the majority of Wales, bar the western regions, reports MEN.
Simultaneously, two yellow weather warnings have been issued for parts of the UK today.
(Image: Met Office)
A heavy rain warning is in place for a large portion of South Wales until 11.59pm, while much of Devon and Cornwall are under a warning for strong wind and heavy rain until 6pm.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued snow warnings for this week as temperatures are set to nosedive in an Arctic blast. The thermometer hit a pleasant 14.8C on Monday (November 10) in Cardiff during November’s mild opening. But temperatures are now forecast to tumble steadily, with Saturday’s (November 15) lows expected to reach just-4C.
This dramatic shift comes as a low pressure system sweeps northeastwards today, delivering widespread rainfall across most areas, particularly Wales and Northwest England.
As the mercury continues its descent, a sprinkling of snow becomes increasingly likely from Thursday onwards across elevated terrain, including Scotland’s Cairngorms, sections of Aberdeenshire, and possibly Eryri (Snowdonia) in north Wales later this week.
The Met Office’s extended outlook states: “Many central and northern parts of the UK will likely be in a colder but drier regime than of late with overnight frosts, and a few showers near windward coasts in particular which may be wintry on high ground. However, it could remain cloudier, milder and wetter initially across some southern and southwestern areas, with some uncertainty as to how quickly this clears away to the south.
“It is most likely that the bulk of the UK will experience drier and colder conditions into the first part of next week. Later in the period there is increasing uncertainty, but a trend towards more changeable conditions is possible, with some rain or showers in places, and perhaps some hill snow at times in the north. Temperatures overall may return to near-average.”
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