UK weather: Yellow warning issued as rain set to batter most of England

13 September 2021, 20:13

By Nick Hardinges

@NHardinges

A yellow weather warning has been issued across most of England for Tuesday, with flooding and heavy rain expected to cause widespread disruption.

The summer sunshine is set to make a swift exit this week as the bright spells are replaced by downpours and dreary conditions for most of the day.

Commuters will need their umbrellas at the ready before they leave for work, with the worst of the conditions due to kick in at around 6am, according to the Met Office.

Showers will start along the central south coast and move northward and easterly into the afternoon and evening.

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The worst of the weather will move past England by midnight and into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Thunderstorms and up to 50-70mm of rain can be expected in some regions, leading to flooding and disruption across the country.

Parts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire are set to continue experiencing downpours into the next day.

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The warning reads: "An area of rain is expected to move northeastwards across much of England on Tuesday, with thunder in a few places.

"15-25 mm of rain is likely quite widely with up to 40 mm in a few places, leading to some flooding and disruption.

"However, there is a small chance that this rain will especially intense in a few places with 50-70 mm possible, and more significant disruption where this occurs.

"The rain will clear slowly northeastwards during the day, perhaps lasting into the night across parts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire."

Many London boroughs will be affected by the alert, along with most of the Midlands - including Birmingham, Nottingham and Peterborough - and parts of the North East, such as Bradford, Harrogate, Hull and Leeds.

The weather system is being caused by a low-pressure front moving up from the South West.

Power cuts and surface flooding warnings have also been issued by the Met Office, while public transport could be impacted.

Spray on roads is expected to make journeys more difficult for motorists and cyclists.

Parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also likely to experience some showers, although they are not currently affected by the warning.