UK weather: Amber warning for heavy rain issued by Met Office - with 'rivers continuing to rise'
The Met Office has issued an amber alert for heavy rainfall, cautioning that it could lead to more flooding and disruptions to travel throughout many areas of the UK.
The updated weather warning is in effect for central England starting at 6 PM on Thursday and lasting until 6 AM on Friday.
The Met Office cautioned that some areas could experience almost three inches of rain over several hours, and even after the rain stops, "rivers will keep rising."
Multiple yellow weather alerts were announced for many areas of the country starting at 6 AM on Thursday and lasting until 9 AM on Friday.
These consist of three distinct rain alerts: one for the western region of Northern Ireland, another for northern England, and a third that spans a significant portion of both England and Wales.
Look up the most recent weather predictions for your location.
The Met Office indicated in the amber alert that light showers and thunderstorms will gradually build up during the afternoon. These will combine into a significant area of heavy rainfall by evening, which will then slowly move south overnight.
Certain areas, particularly in the central and eastern regions of the warning zone, are expected to experience rainfall of 30-40mm within a three-hour period, with the possibility of receiving 50-60mm or even more over approximately six hours.
"This rain will hit land that is already soaked and have an impact on neighborhoods that are trying to bounce back from recent floods."
Travel may be affected and more flooding could occur, as river levels are expected to keep rising even after the rain stops.
The forecast suggests that train and bus services may experience delays and cancellations, and power outages are also a possibility. Drivers should prepare for road closures, and there's a significant risk that some neighborhoods could become isolated because of flooding.
The Environment Agency has issued 30 flood warnings throughout England, indicating that flooding is anticipated, along with 85 flood alerts that suggest flooding may occur.
Up to now, intense rainfall and storms have caused approximately 385 homes to be inundated in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Kent, and the surrounding counties.
Kate Marks, the flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, stated that the ongoing rainfall expected over the weekend could lead to considerable flooding in rivers and on the surface in certain areas of central England. Additionally, she mentioned that there could be minor flooding issues in some regions of north-east England as well.
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Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen mentioned, "As rain is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, it may fall on ground that is already soaked, leading to several warnings. These alerts highlight the heightened risks of possible effects from the rainfall."
The rain should stop by Friday, making Saturday much colder.
Some regions in the country experienced rainfall that exceeded the usual monthly amount on Monday, leading to flash floods that harmed homes and caused travel disruptions.
More rain fell on Wednesday evening.
