Unsettled conditions continue

19 Feb 2020 05:09 PM

More wind and rain after Storms Ciara and Dennis wreaked havoc across the UK.

The forecast for the next few days remains unsettled, although less severe, with the potential for gales, heavy rain and hill snow.

Steve Willington is a chief forecaster at the Met Office. He said: “Storm Dennis has long gone, but the legacy of high water levels and saturated catchments remain. Although the forecast for the next few days indicates that conditions won’t be as severe, any additional rainfall could create further challenges as river catchments are more likely to respond to extra rainfall more quickly. Flooding, especially in areas already heavily affected, remains a possibility.”

The number of severe flood warnings and flood warnings has dropped in the last 24 hours, but water levels remain high in many catchments with: six severe flood warnings and 127 flood warnings in England; and five across Wales.

Scott Squires, Duty Tactical Manager for Natural Resources Wales said: "As the flood waters recede and communities start to get back on their feet, we’ll continue to support local authorities and emergency service in these affected areas. Over the coming days our teams will be checking for any signs of damage to our flood defences, and removing blockages and debris which has built up in culverts and drainage grids etc.

"If you’ve been affected you can find advice on what you need to do by visiting our website or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. You can also visit our website for the latest flood warnings, updated every 15 minutes."

Yellow National Severe Weather warnings are in force in the UK for the next few days and these warnings cover areas already heavily impacted by recent intense rainfall. Three Yellow rain warnings are in force until Thursday covering both north and south Wales and a swathe of north-west England. On Friday and Saturday a further rain warning comes into force for parts of northern England.

Steve Willington added: “Some of the rain, especially in the warning areas, could be quite heavy, with showers of hail and thunder possible between. In northern areas of Britain hill snow remains a threat.”

With the ground already saturated there is a chance of further flooding, members of the public should check their flood risk and stay up to date with flood warnings from Natural Resources WalesSEPANI Direct and the Environment Agency.

Although the outlook for this week stays unsettled, with severe weather warnings in place, a named storm is not expected.

You can get the most accurate and up to date forecast for your area using our forecast pages and by following us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as using our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.