The Met Office has issued severe amber weather warnings as Storm Claudia prepares to unleash torrential rain and strong winds across large parts of England and Wales this Friday.
Amber Warnings and Forecasted Deluge
From noon on Friday until the end of the day, an amber warning for persistent and heavy rain will be in force. This alert covers significant areas, including parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South-West, the South-East, and the East of England.
Forecasters predict that some regions in England could see up to 80mm of rainfall. The situation is even more severe in Wales, where higher ground may be hit by a deluge of 100-150mm, with 50-75mm expected more widely across the region.
These conditions will be worsened by strong easterly winds, and the Met Office has also warned of thunderstorms developing later on Friday.
Widespread Disruption and Flooding Risk
The Environment Agency has stated that significant surface water flooding is probable in central England, with river flooding also possible from Friday into Saturday.
Ben Lukey, the Environment Agency's flood duty manager, urged vigilance: "Storm Claudia will bring heavy prolonged rainfall across parts of England, with significant surface water flooding probable across parts of central England on Friday."
The Met Office has explicitly warned the public to prepare for potential power cuts, travel disruption, and damage to buildings. A separate yellow warning for rain covers a vast swath of England from Cheshire and North Yorkshire down to the south coast for a 24-hour period starting at 6am on Friday. Furthermore, a wind warning is in place for some western areas, where gusts could reach 70mph.
A Month's Rain in a Single Day
Matthew Lehnert, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, highlighted the severity of the incoming storm. "Some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours," he said.
He further explained that the ground in many areas is already saturated, which significantly increases the risk of flooding and justified the issuance of the amber warnings. "Within the amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event," Lehnert added.
Unlike many storms that cross the UK, Storm Claudia, which was named by the Spanish Meteorological Agency after affecting Spain and Portugal, is expected to remain positioned to the west of the country, contributing to the prolonged nature of the rainfall.
Travellers are being strongly advised to exercise extreme caution throughout Friday and into Saturday as the slow-moving downpours are set to soak a large portion of central and southern England and Wales.
