A severe weather warning for rain, indicating a potential danger to life, has been issued for parts of Somerset. The Met Office has alerted residents to the possibility of flash flooding and travel disruptions as heavy downpours are expected to affect the West Country.
The warning, in effect from 0.15am on Wednesday, May 22 until 6am on Thursday, May 23, also covers the Midlands, the north of England, and parts of Scotland.
The Met Office has stated, “Heavy rain may cause some flooding and disruption to travel.” Forecasters have provided details on what to expect during the warning period.
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Expanding on the warning, the Met Office stated, “An area of rain is expected to develop across eastern and central England, then move northwestwards to affect northern England and north Wales during Wednesday afternoon. The area of rain could then become slow moving, heavy, and persistent, especially over north-facing hills, before clearing during Thursday morning.
“There is uncertainty over where the heaviest rain will occur, and this warning is likely to be updated. Many places will see 30-40 mm of rain, while a few areas may receive 60-80 mm. There is also a small chance that a few upland areas could see much higher totals, in the order of 100-150 mm.”
Today’s weather forecast includes a mixture of bright or sunny spells and showers, with patchy rain in the east. Showers in the south could become heavy at times, potentially escalating to thundery conditions with hail and lightning. Breezier conditions are expected, with a maximum temperature of 19 °C.
Tonight, heavy showers will ease, though it will remain rather cloudy in the north and east with some patchy rain. The south is expected to be drier, with a minimum temperature of 11 °C.
Thursday is anticipated to be largely dry, with some sunnier spells. However, rain may return to some areas by the evening, with winds easing and a maximum temperature of 18 °C.
Looking ahead to Friday to Sunday, Friday is expected to be largely dry with a few showers, while Saturday will begin fine and dry, with the possibility of thicker cloud and rain arriving later. Sunday is predicted to have a mix of sunshine and showers.