Western England and the whole of Wales are set for heavy rain and possible flooding as the school holidays get into full swing and the Easter weekend approaches.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain beginning at noon on Tuesday and lasting for 24 hours, advising that there could be transport disruption, flooding of homes and businesses and a chance of power cuts.
Spray and flooding on roads could make journey times longer and there may be delays on bus and train services, the Met Office said.
Areas affected include popular holiday spots in Cornwall and Devon as well as Bristol, Bath, Herefordshire, Shropshire, parts of Cheshire and Merseyside.
In its weather warning, the Met Office said: “A spell of heavy and persistent rain is expected to move north across western Britain during Tuesday into early Wednesday.
“Whilst there is some uncertainty in where the heaviest rain will fall, 20-40mm of rain is expected fairly widely. A few places may see 50-75 mm of rain during this period.”
After weeks of fine weather for many parts of the UK, the Met Office said low pressure had led to unsettled conditions.
Its chief meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert, said: “After a long spell of high pressure bringing dry weather and sunshine, gloomier and unsettled conditions are on the horizon. Low pressure has become established to the west of the UK, bringing cloud, rain showers and lower temperatures for many.
“More persistent and heavy rain is expected on Tuesday into early Wednesday. A low-pressure system near Portugal is of particular interest as it moves towards the UK, bringing with it potentially heavy rain and thunderstorms.
“High rainfall totals are possible but, given the recent dry conditions, significant impacts are not anticipated. The situation remains under close watch, with further wet conditions anticipated on Thursday and another weather front moving in on Friday.”
In England, the Environment Agency had eight flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – in place on Tuesday morning. It said areas at risk included those close to rivers in Cumbria around Whitehaven, Eskdale and Egremont.
The Environment Agency said: “We are closely monitoring the situation and monitoring rainfall and river levels.” Natural Resources Wales had issued no flood warnings by 8am on Tuesday.
The Met Office said the forecast for Good Friday and Easter weekend would become clearer towards the end of the week. Temperatures are likely to be around average for the time of year, with potentially unsettled days, dry interludes and chilly nights.
The motoring organisation the AA issued an amber warning for traffic for the Easter weekend. It said more than 19m journeys were expected on Good Friday and more than 18m on Easter Monday.
Source: theguardian.com
