Storm Claudia has brought heavy rain and flooding to Britain, prompting widespread travel disruption and 'do not travel' warnings. A yellow weather warning for rain came into force at 6am for much of England, including London, with amber warnings covering parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and east of England from noon on Friday. The Met Office warned of “persistent and heavy” rain, with some areas potentially seeing up to 150mm in 24 hours, equivalent to a month's worth of rainfall.
The Environment Agency has issued multiple flood warnings, and the AA has advised people to avoid road travel. Joe Cuthbertson, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, urged: “We urge people not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.” National Rail also warned passengers to check their entire journey before travelling on Friday and Saturday due to expected widespread disruption.
Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to continue into Friday evening, with the storm most strongly affecting England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland will see showers but are likely to be drier and brighter. Temperatures are forecast to drop, with a possible “snow bomb” next week bringing sleet and snow to hills and mountains in Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and possibly North Wales. London may see sleet as temperatures fall to 3C.
Friday saw severe delays on the London Underground, including on the Mildmay line and the District and Metropolitan lines due to a signalling systems failure. The Met Office advised the public to take care and be prepared for disruption. The slow-moving nature of the downpours increases the risk of flooding and travel chaos, with the Environment Agency warning of “significant surface water and river flooding impacts” continuing into the weekend.
