The Met Office has escalated weather warnings to amber as Storm Claudia prepares to sweep across the UK, bringing a washout weekend of torrential rain and damaging winds.
Immediate Threats and Warnings
An amber warning for rain is active from noon on Friday until the end of the day, covering parts of Wales, the Midlands, South West, South East and East of England. Forecasters warn that some regions could see an astonishing 80mm of rain, with the potential for deep floodwater that presents a danger to life.
Matthew Lehnert, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, stated: "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."
Widespread Disruption Expected
The impacts are predicted to be severe. The Met Office has cautioned that the weather may lead to:
- Power cuts
- Significant travel disruption
- Damage to buildings
A separate yellow warning for rain covers a vast area from Cheshire and North Yorkshire down to the south coast for a 24-hour period from 6am on Friday. Additionally, a warning for winds of up to 70mph has been issued for some western areas of the UK from noon until midnight, exacerbating the hazardous conditions.
Lehnert added: "Within the amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event, with 60-80mm fairly widely. Gusty winds in the north-west of England and north-west Wales is an additional hazard."
Public Urged to Take Precautions
With the ground already saturated from previous rainfall, the risk of flooding is significantly increased. The public, especially those travelling, are being urged to be extremely cautious, check for updates, and avoid unnecessary journeys in the worst-affected areas. Storm Claudia, named by the Spanish meteorological service, is set to be a major disruptive weather event for the UK.
