The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for parts of the UK on Friday, with up to 80mm of rain expected from Storm Claudia. The warning, in place from noon until midnight, covers areas of Wales and the Midlands, with a risk of flooding and disruption.
A wider yellow alert for rain is also in effect from 6am Friday to 6am Saturday, covering London, the South East, South West, and East of England. Additionally, a wind warning for gusts up to 70mph is in place for some western areas from noon to midnight.
The Met Office warned that fast-flowing or deep floodwater could pose a danger to life, and properties are likely to be flooded. Travel delays and cancellations are likely, and power cuts are possible.
Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: 'Storm Claudia will bring very heavy rainfall to a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday. This rain will become slow moving and some areas could see up to a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.' He added that within the amber warning areas, some could see over 150mm of rain, with 60-80mm widely expected.
Storm Claudia, named by the Spanish meteorological service, has already caused disruption in Spain, shutting schools in the Canary Islands due to torrential rain.
