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Amber warning for rain issued

An amber warning for rain has been issued by the Met Office, with an ongoing chance of flooding and travel disruption for many.

Low-pressure is gradually moving north over the next couple of days, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds at times.  

Areas to the south of the UK have already seen some surface water flooding impacts, but rainfall totals are expected to be higher further north, with in excess of 100 mm of rain possible over a 24-hour period within the amber warning area, which covers parts of eastern Scotland. The amber warning comes into force from early Friday morning through to the afternoon. 

Wider yellow warnings for rain have also been issued for Thursday and Friday, reflecting the path of the low-pressure system. In northern England around 40 mm of rain is likely to fall fairly widely, with some high ground possibly seeing in excess of 80 mm of rain.  

Check the latest weather warnings from the Met Office

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “Bands of rain associated with this low-pressure will be heavy in places and will bring with it the potential for some flooding and travel disruption. 

“The heaviest rain will gradually move north on Thursday and Friday, with further warnings issued. Parts of eastern of Scotland are likely to see between 50 and 70 mm of rain, with in excess of 100 mm possible across the hills of Angus and Aberdeenshire. Coupled with this system are some strong winds, with gusts of around 50 mph possible along coasts. 

“The heaviest rain will relent late on Friday for those in the north and east, although it will leave behind some lighter rain for a time on Saturday.”  

David Faichney, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said:

“A period of persistent and heavy rain is forecast across much of eastern Scotland from Thursday evening into Friday afternoon.

“Surface water and river flooding impacts are possible from eastern Borders to Aberdeenshire on both days. On Friday, Aberdeenshire and Angus in particular could experience significant impacts. These may include flooding in parts of communities, property and agricultural land. Disruption to the transport network is also likely, including difficult driving conditions.

Regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings are in place, and people living and working in affected areas are advised to plan their essential journeys and consider the steps they need to take now to be prepared and to stay safe. They can also keep updated on floodline.sepa.org.uk.

“SEPA works 24/7 to monitor conditions and is in close contact with the Met Office and other partners to understand and communicate the flooding risk.”

Temperatures will continue to drop through this week back towards the average for the time of year. With the strong winds and rain, it will feel much cooler than the unseasonably mild conditions seen in recent days.

Weekend and next week 

Saturday could provide a brief respite from the winds and rain for a time, although some rain may linger across northeastern areas, before another front moves in from the west later in the day, bringing further wet and windy weather. It will feel rather cold, with parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and western and southern England seeing a frost on Saturday morning.  

Sunday could see rain linger again across the northeast of the UK, with sunny spells and blustery, heavy showers elsewhere.   

Unsettled and changeable conditions look likely to continue for much of next week, with bands of rain and strong winds, though some clearer, showery interludes are also likely. Rather cold for many areas at first, but temperatures probably recovering closer to average for November later in the week.  

You can check the latest forecast on our website, by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store. Keep track of current weather warnings on the weather warning page.   

Channel website: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk

Original article link: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2022/amber-warning-for-rain-issued

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