The Met Office has escalated to an urgent weather alert, issuing a significant 18-hour storm warning set to impact vast swathes of the United Kingdom this Saturday.
Widespread Impact Across Dozens of Regions
Millions of Britons are bracing for potential disruption as the national forecaster has listed a total of 77 specific areas under the yellow weather warning. The alert is in force for a full 18-hour period, highlighting the severity of the expected conditions.
The Met Office detailed the forecast, stating that rain, which will be heavy at times, is expected to develop across southwest England on Friday night. This band of wet weather is then predicted to spread northeastward throughout the day on Saturday before finally clearing into the North Sea by Saturday night.
Heavy Rainfall and Strong Winds Expected
While there remains some uncertainty about the precise corridor of the heaviest rainfall, the forecaster has indicated a high potential for significant downpours. 20-30 mm of rain is expected to fall fairly widely, with some areas potentially seeing up to 50 mm.
Over higher ground, the situation could be more severe, with a low chance of 60-80 mm of rainfall. Accompanying this deluge, strong winds are also anticipated, particularly across eastern parts of England during Saturday night, raising the risk of further travel issues and potential power cuts.
Full List of Areas Under the Weather Warning
The storm warning encompasses a wide geographical area, affecting multiple regions and counties. Residents in the following locations should take necessary precautions:
East Midlands: Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.
East of England: Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough, Suffolk.
London & South East England: Bracknell Forest, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay, Wiltshire.
Wales: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan.
West Midlands: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire.
Yorkshire & Humber: East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire.
The public is advised to stay updated with the latest Met Office storm warning and to plan for possible travel disruption and power cuts over the weekend.
