The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain, predicting flooding and travel disruption across south-west England and much of South Wales. The alert runs from midnight until 2pm on Wednesday, as heavy rain and gusty winds are expected to sweep north-east through the morning. The warning also notes potential interruptions to power supplies and public services, while bus and train journeys may face delays.
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Rebekah Hicks, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “A band of heavy rain and strong winds will move north-east during the early part of Wednesday, followed by heavy showers and the risk of thunderstorms. Some of these storms may bring hail and gusty winds, particularly in southern areas. The warning coincides with the first school run after the summer holidays, meaning a wet and potentially disruptive start to the day for many.”
Rain will move eastwards across southern counties of England and Wales on Tuesday, with blustery conditions and heavy downpours in places. By Wednesday, rainfall totals are expected to reach 20-30mm across much of the warned area, with some locations potentially seeing 40-60mm over six to nine hours. Coastal gales are also likely along the English Channel. Conditions should gradually improve through Wednesday afternoon as showers become more isolated, but Thursday will remain unsettled, with widespread showers, occasional thunderstorms, and persistent rain in parts of western Scotland.
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The Met Office confirmed that this year’s summer was the UK’s warmest on record, with a provisional mean temperature of 16.10C across June, July and August, surpassing the previous record of 15.76C in 2018. Following an already hot and sunny spring, these back-to-back record-breaking seasons have brought extended dry spells and high temperatures, which have affected the environment and agriculture, resulting in drought orders, hosepipe bans, poor harvests, and low reservoir levels.
