Met Office issues urgent 11-hour weather warning as UK to be battered by downpours
Some areas could experience flooding and travel chaos.
The Met Office has issued urgent yellow weather warnings for wind and rain covering large swathes of the country.
The warning for rain, which is in force from 3am until 2pm tomorrow, warns residents of the potential of flooding and travel chaos.
Some areas could see up to 30mm of rain during this period, the weather service said.
Meanwhile wind gusts reaching a speed of as much as 50mph will sweep the country. The agency added: "However, there is a small chance of a broader swathe of very strong winds affecting southern and eastern England with gusts of 60 to 70 mph, mostly likely close to English Channel and southern North Sea coasts."
The weather warnings cover the southern coast of the UK. The warning for rain starting at 3am overs all of Cornwall and extends to Plymouth, Exeter and the south of Wales, including Cardiff.
Meanwhile another starting at 5am and lasting for 12 hours until 5pm covers the southeast of England, including all of the south and southeast coast, reaching as far north as Leicester.
The rain is falling on areas that have already seen substantial rainfall, increasing the risk of flooding.
The warning states: "Rain will be heavy at times and perhaps become more prolonged to give 3-6 hours of rain. Most places within the warning area will see 10-15mm of rainfall, but a few places could see 30-40mm with this falling onto already saturated ground."
The wind could cause a risk of injury due to flying debris, the Met Office added.
The unsettled and mild conditions will eventually clear in the coming days, and will be followed by colder weather. The rest of the month is predicted to see temperatures return to closer to the average values for this time of year.
Weather maps show temperatures reaching closer to zero for much of the UK by Friday.
Over 120 flood alerts and warnings have been issued by the environment agency.
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Yellow warning for rain: 3am - 2pm Thursday February 22
South West England
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Torbay
Wales
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
Yellow warning for rain: 5am - 5pm Thursday February 22
East Midlands
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Rutland
East of England
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Norfolk
- Peterborough
- Southend-on-Sea
- Suffolk
- Thurrock
London & South East England
- Bracknell Forest
- Buckinghamshire
- Greater London
- Hampshire
- Kent
- Medway
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- Reading
- Slough
- Surrey
- West Berkshire
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wokingham
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
West Midlands
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands Conurbation
- Worcestershire
Yellow weather warning for wind: 8am to 6pm, Thursday February 22
East of England
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Norfolk
- Southend-on-Sea
- Suffolk
- Thurrock
London & South East England
- Bracknell Forest
- Brighton and Hove
- Buckinghamshire
- East Sussex
- Greater London
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Medway
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Slough
- Southampton
- Surrey
- West Berkshire
- West Sussex
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wokingham
South West England
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Dorset
- Wiltshire