UK weather: Brits brace for three DAYS worth of heavy rain as Met Office yellow warnings spark flooding fears
BRITS have been warned they face three days worth of yellow weather warnings this week.
The Met Office has issued the alerts for rain and urged those affected to be prepared for flooding.
There are yellow weather warnings in place from Wednesday to Friday covering areas in Scotland.
Tomorrow, the notice is in force from 3am until midnight and it covers Glasgow, Stirling and surrounding towns such as Greenock, Lanark and Ayr.
Met Office meteorologists have warned Brits in these areas can expect “spray and flooding” likely to cause difficult driving conditions.
“Where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services,” they added.
“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some building.”
The warning also states stormy weather could lead to power outages and reduces services.
Thursday’s alert is in place from 3pm until midnight and also covers Glasgow, extending to the outskirts of western Edinburgh, Perth, and north into the Scottish Highlands.
Meteorologists predict “heavy and persistent rain” will wreak havoc on travel and journey times, with delays and cancellations on roads and rail services likely.
Similarly, Brits have been warned of possible flooding and power cuts amid the wet and wild conditions.
A yellow weather warning for rain is also in place across the same areas on Friday, again from 3pm until midnight.
It comes after the UK was battered by heavy rain, strong winds and flooding as Storm Agnes wreaked havoc last week.
The first named storm of the season drummed up a high of 79mph winds in Capel Curig, a village in Wales, on Wednesday night.
Agnes triggered a series of Met Office yellow weather warnings for wind and rain across the UK, with forecasts of damaging winds and big stormy seas.
Today’s forecast predicts sunny spells and scattered patches of rain for most of the UK.
Met Office meteorologist, Alex Deakin said: “It is quite a wet start for some places. A lot of heavy rain last night with quite a lot of spray and surface water on the roads particularly over the midlands and East Anglia.
“The south east seeing some heavy bursts of rain this morning which will clear around lunchtime.
“We will also see showers packing into north west England and Scotland, a few for Northern Ireland and Wales, to much of southern England.”
Meanwhile, eastern England is set to remain largely dry and bright.
A brisk breeze will be present across the UK with temperatures averaging in the mid-teens.
WEATHER WARNINGS
What to expect
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- Where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
STAYING SAFE
Five tips for staying safe in a storm
- Check if your property is at risk – if so prepare a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.
- Stay safe in flooding – park your car outside the flood zone, store valuables and electrical devices high up, turn off gas, water, and electricity supplies.
- Secure loose items such as bins, plant pots, garden furniture, trampolines and lock shed doors.
- Is it safe for you to drive? If you must drive, slow down, use main roads, dipped headlights and keep a bigger gap between vehicles.
- During a power cut:
- Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
- Leave a light on, so you know when the power cut has been fixed.
- Check to see if your neighbours are safe and if they have a power cut too. If they have power, your trip switch may have activated.
- If it’s cold, wrap up warm and close internal doors to keep the heat in.
- Portable heaters are a good alternative if heating systems are down.
- Call 105 for information, it’s a free service for people in England, Scotland and Wales.