The Met Office has updated its weather warning, with the UK is set to face an onslaught of thunderstorms and heavy showers earlier than previously anticipated. Forecasters are predicting that up to 60mm of rain could drench parts of England and Wales in just a few hours today (Thursday, September 16), potentially causing floods and widespread disruption.
Initially expected to begin at 5pm today, the severe rain warning was updated to reflect predictions that heavy rain will sweep into the South West sooner than estimated. The alert was brought forward in the early hours and is set to last from 6am today over a 27-hour period until 9am tomorrow.
The Met Office gave the reason for the update: “Start time brought forward, as heavy showers and some thunderstorms will also occur during the day.”
The South West is bracing for a soaking this morning and many locals found themselves waking up to dreary conditions. A substantial area of rainfall, primarily concentrated over the Midlands, is forecast to gradually shift southward throughout the day, targeting the West Country by early tomorrow morning. Additional thunderstorms could erupt at various points today, reports Devon Live.
The Met Office warns: “Whilst some areas will miss the worst, heavy showers and some thunderstorms will occur during today, potentially becoming more organised across a swathe of Wales and into central and eastern England during Thursday evening and on into early Friday morning. 10-15 mm of rain could occur within an hour from the heavy showers during today with a few places possibly seeing 30 mm over a few hours.”
“There still remains some uncertainty in the details for Thursday evening and overnight, but some locations may see up 20-30 mm of rain in 2-3 hours and perhaps 40-60 mm in 3-6 hours. Given the recent very wet weather, this will bring the potential for further flooding and transport disruption.”
Two other heavy rain warnings are in place in North East England and across Northern Ireland.
Forecasters have indicated that here in the South West, we can expect:
- There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads
- There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life