.svg)
More than half a month’s worth of rain could fall in parts of the UK within a single day this week, according to a warning from the Met Office.
A yellow rain alert will take effect at 6pm on Monday and remain active for 24 hours. It will cover areas across southwest England and Wales, extending into parts of Herefordshire and Hampshire. Some locations may see up to 40mm of rainfall, while higher elevations such as Dartmoor and the hills of South Wales could receive between 60mm and 80mm—over half of December’s usual monthly rainfall.
Because the ground in southwest England and South Wales is already saturated, the expected downpours may make travel hazardous.
Currently, more than a dozen flood warnings are active in England, along with two in Scotland and one in Wales. Northern Ireland also has a separate yellow warning for rain on Sunday from 8am to 3pm.
Steven Keates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said that a deepening area of low pressure will move in from the southwest late Monday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds between Monday night and early Wednesday.
He explained that uncertainties remain about the storm’s exact path, intensity, and timing, making it difficult to pinpoint which areas will receive the heaviest impacts. With the system capable of causing disruption, more weather warnings are expected over the weekend. The public is advised to follow the latest Met Office updates.
The Met Office added that the remainder of the month is expected to stay unsettled due to further spells of low pressure, and it is still too early to provide a precise forecast for Christmas.
