The Met Office has significantly expanded a yellow weather warning across England as a band of heavy, persistent rain and strengthening winds moves in, raising the risk of flooding and travel chaos.
Warning Expanded to Include Midlands and East
Originally in force for London and southern areas from 9am on Thursday 15th January 2026, the warning was updated early on Thursday to include the Midlands, south-west, and eastern parts of England. It will now remain active until 10pm.
The forecaster warns that heavy rain falling on already saturated ground is likely to cause surface water flooding. Between 20 and 30mm of rain is expected widely, with isolated spots potentially seeing 40 to 50mm.
Gusty Winds and Travel Disruption Expected
The updated alert also highlights the risk of strong winds accompanying the downpours. Gusts of around 50 mph are possible along some exposed coasts in southern and south-eastern England, with inland areas seeing winds of 35 to 45mph at times.
The Met Office states that flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible. Bus and train services will probably be affected with longer journey times, and spray and flooding on roads will likely make driving conditions difficult.
Flood Warnings in Place After Recent Storms
This latest bout of wet and windy weather follows a period of severe disruption. Last week, Storm Goretti brought gusts of almost 100mph and a rare red wind warning to south-west England.
Furthermore, a major incident was recently declared in Kent and Sussex after approximately 30,000 properties lost their water supply due to burst pipes and power cuts.
Currently, the Environment Agency has issued:
- Three flood warnings for England, meaning flooding is expected.
- 40 flood alerts, indicating that flooding is possible.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: "An area of low pressure is going to bring heavy and persistent rain to parts of southern England and will be accompanied by some gusty winds at times. There’s the possibility of travel disruption for some and the possibility of flooding in a few places as well."
Looking ahead, Friday will see some showers in western areas with patchy cloud elsewhere, a pattern expected to continue over the weekend.
Separately, the recent wintry conditions have triggered the Government's cold weather payments scheme. This means eligible pensioners and low-income households in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will automatically receive £25 for every seven-day period of very cold weather.
