The Met Office has forecast heavy rain for Wednesday, September 30, with 59 counties across the UK expected to be soaked by downpours throughout the day.
Rain band moves east across the UK
A thick band of rain will move steadily east and northeast across Britain on Wednesday, with most areas experiencing some form of showers at some point during the day. According to Met Office weather maps, by 9am the main band already stretches from southwest England through Wales, northern England and Scotland.
At 9am, the heaviest rain is expected to fall through western Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern Wales and southwest England. By midday, the band moves slightly east, with many of the same areas covered, including heavy showers in Cornwall and Devon as well as much of Wales.
Afternoon and evening outlook
Into the afternoon, the patterns shift with counties further east being struck by showers. Weather maps appear nearly fully blue at 3pm, with much of northeast England now also covered. The heaviest-looking section of rain appears around central and northern Scotland and northern England, while downpours ease slightly in the south from the morning.
As evening comes, the rain is expected to move further east again, with areas soaked all day expecting some dry periods. By 6pm, the main band has passed in the south, but rain will hit London and surrounding areas. By 9pm, much of the rain has cleared apart from dispersed showers in northeast England.
Full list of counties affected
The Met Office forecasts "heavy rain" on Wednesday, saying: "Heavy rain moves across the UK on Wednesday, bringing a fresher feel. Staying breezy with sunny spells and showers thereafter."
The full list of counties expected to be soaked includes: in England, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham, Yorkshire, parts of the Midlands, Essex, Kent, East Sussex, Surrey and London. In Wales, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, parts of the Vale of Glamorgan, parts of Monmouthshire and parts of southern Wales. In Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute, Glasgow, Highland, Perth and Kinross, Angus, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Fife, Stirling, Clackmannanshire, the Edinburgh/Lothians area and the Scottish Borders. In Northern Ireland, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Londonderry and Fermanagh.
