Weather map: Where 200mm of rain could hit UK this weekend after Met Office warnings
Heavy rains this weekend are expected to cause flooding and pose a “life hazard” in parts of England.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning from 6am on Sunday until 6pm on Monday.
Persistent rain is forecast to hit north-west England and be particularly heavy in parts of Cumbria.
Meteorology warned that floods and travel disruptions may occur. Homes or businesses are likely to be damaged by floodwaters, and there is a possibility of power outages or some communities being left without flooded roads.
Showers of up to 100mm are expected across northern England, Scotland and Wales on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Rainfall may reach up to 200 mm in some western areas.
A 24-hour warning has been issued in the Highlands & Eilean Siar and Strathclyde from midday on Saturday, and in south-west Scotland, East Midlands, North East England, North West England and Yorkshire & Humber from 18:00 until Monday evening.
Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “While there is still some uncertainty about the timing of individual hits of heavy rain, the combination of prolonged rainfall and already saturated ground means there is the possibility of further disruption to travel and localized flooding.
“We expect unstable conditions to continue next week and are monitoring developments closely.”
Rain warnings will be in place in north-west Wales from 18:00 on Sunday and in Northern Ireland from midnight.
The heaviest rain is expected in Cumbria, where more than 200 mm (8 inches) of rain could accumulate over the weekend. The Met Office also expects strong south-westerly winds at times.
Rain streaks can cause flooding on roads and disrupt transport. The forecaster also warned that this could also lead to outages in power supplies and flooding of homes and businesses.
Residents of areas under a yellow rain warning are advised to prepare a flood kit containing insurance and other important documents, a flashlight and spare batteries, a first aid kit and prescription medications.
The Met Office said the outlook for December remains uncertain and wetter and windier weather is on the way.
Environment Agency Flood Officer Manager Jonathan Day said: “Heavy and persistent rainfall means significant river and surface flooding impacts are likely in Cumbria on Sunday and Monday. These impacts are also possible more widely from late Saturday into Monday.
“Minor flooding is possible on rivers and surface water in other parts of Northern England over the weekend.”
Environment Agency teams are taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and support affected communities. They encourage people not to drive through floodwater; The water is often deeper than it looks, and only 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.
“People should search ‘check my flood risk’, get free flood alerts and keep up to date with @EnvAgency on X.”
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said: “I am in constant contact with the Environment Agency as heavy rainfall is expected this weekend in the north of England, particularly in Cumbria. “We are co-ordinating with local authorities and emergency services to keep communities safe and I thank them for their vital work. “I would urge people to follow local advice, sign up for flood warnings and stay up to date with the latest information.”
“To protect households across the country, this Government has made the largest investment to date to accelerate the maintenance and repair of defense systems and the construction of new flood projects.”
According to the Met Office, the UK weather forecast for next week is as follows:
Today
Rain will gradually clear the southeast for most of Friday, but it will be a calmer day with lots of sunshine elsewhere. Heavy showers in the northwest. There is a fresher but milder feel in the southeast.
Tonight
Clouds and rain will continue to ease in the southeast, leaving a clear night for most people. Showers continue in the northeast, but there are light winds in the south. Fog possible.
Saturday
Heavy rain continuing north into Saturday could bring strong winds and coastal storms. Dryer for England and Wales. Light winds will blow in the southeast.
Outlook from Sunday to Tuesday
There was a northwest-southeast split towards the back half of the weekend. Wet and windy weather continues across Scotland and Northern Ireland, while conditions are drier and brighter elsewhere. We start next week on an uneasy note.
