Amber warnings for ‘persistent and heavy’ rain from Storm Claudia

Storm Claudia will bring torrential rain to some parts of England and Wales.

Amber warnings for “persistent and heavy” rain come in to force from noon on Friday until the end of the day and cover parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and east of England.

In England some places could have 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.

All of this may be “exacerbated” by strong easterly winds, as well as thunderstorms later on Friday, the forecaster adds.

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

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 country 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.”

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.”

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