Travel disruption as Storm Claudia arrives in UK bringing torrential rain and 'do not travel' warning

The Amber warnings for “persistent and heavy” rain come into force from midday on Friday - a warning that extends until the end of the day.

Covering parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and east of England, some areas can expect 80mm of rain, while part of Wales may be hit by 100-150mm on the higher ground, or 50-75mm generally across the region, the Met Office warning says.

Disruption has already been reported across the UK's rail network, with flooding closing rail lines connecting Exeter St Davids, delays and cancellations to Avanti West Coast services and speed restrictions across some ScotRail routes.

TransPennine, Chiltern, London Northwestern and West Midlands services, with travellers urged to check before they travel.

Rainy conditions are set to be “exacerbated” by strong easterly winds, as well as thunderstorms later on Friday, with the Met Office announcing a yellow rain warning is now in force across much of central/southern England and Wales.

It comes as the Victoria Line was suspended on Friday morning, with the Northern Line and Mildmay line also carrying severe delays due to non-weather-related issues.

Storm Claudia, named by the Spanish Meteorological Agency, has already brought heavy rain and strong winds to Spain and Portugal.

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A separate yellow warning for rain covers much of England, from Cheshire and North Yorkshire to the south coast, for a 24-hour period from 6am on Friday, and a warning for winds of up to 70mph in some western areas of the UK is in place from noon until midnight.

The Met Office said the weather may cause power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings.

Travellers are urged to be cautious as a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday will be soaked.

The slow-moving downpours mean “some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours”, according to Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert.

He added: “Much of this will fall on saturated ground, increasing the chances of flooding and contributing to the amber warnings we have issued.

“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, with 60-70mph gusts possible in exposed places within the warning area.”

Unlike many named storms, Storm Claudia is not expected to directly cross the country, and instead will maintain its position in the West, the Met Office said.

Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “As parts of the ountry are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, I recognise people will be concerned about the risk to their homes and livelihoods.

“I am in regular contact with the Environment Agency on their response to the expected flooding who, alongside local authorities and the emergency services, are already taking action to keep communities safe.”

The AA has advised against travelling in the “hazardous weather”, saying: “Safety comes first. Conditions may change quickly, so stay updated and make sure you’re prepared before you travel.”

It added: “Flood water can appear quickly, and even shallow water can be dangerous – never try to drive through it.”

National Rail advised passengers to check before travelling with disruption to services expected across England, Wales and Scotland on Friday and Saturday.

In Devon, flooding between Exeter and Barnstaple is expected to affect trains until Sunday, with a reduced service on Chiltern Railways on Friday when CrossCountry, London Northwestern and West Midlands services are likely to be hit by the bad weather.

Speed restrictions were in place on some ScotRail services on Friday morning.

The Environment Agency said there is likely to be some surface water and river flooding in the north of England.

It said it has been working with emergency services and local authorities to ensure they are fully prepared for when the storm hits on Friday.

Flood duty manager Ben Lukey said: “Storm Claudia will bring heavy prolonged rainfall across parts of England, with significant surface water flooding probable across parts of central England on Friday.

“River flooding impacts are also possible tomorrow and into Saturday.”

On Friday morning, the agency had issued three flood warnings – where flooding is expected – in the north west of England, with 96 alerts in place.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency had a flood warning in place for Glen Lyon in Perthshire, as well as seven flood alerts, while Natural Resources Wales has issued 21 flood alerts.

In the north of the country, the weather is expected to turn colder, with overnight frost in places from Friday to Sunday.