Storm Claudia to bring month’s worth of rain in a day with warnings of flooding

Storm Claudia could bring up to a month’s worth of rain in a day as heavy downpours batter parts of England and Wales.

Amber warnings for “persistent and heavy” rain come into force from noon on Friday until midnight and cover parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, the South East, and East of England, and have been extended into parts of northern England.

Some places could have 80mm of rain in England, 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.

The British Red Cross said it has placed its emergency response teams on standby to help communities most at risk.

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

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “Storm Claudia will bring very heavy rainfall to a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday.

“This rain will become slow moving, and some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.

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

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.

In Ireland, Met Eireann has a “status orange” rain warning for Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow, while a yellow warning is in place for other eastern counties and much of the south.

The storm comes as the Environment Agency warned that England will experience widespread drought next year without a wet winter.

The country has received only 83% of the average rainfall for January to October, and suffered the driest spring for 132 years and the hottest summer on record.

Despite recent rainfall, the situation remains “precarious”, the Environment Agency said.

And if the winter is drier than normal, much or all of the country will be in drought by next spring, with the risk of hosepipe bans, effects on crops and wildlife, and wildfires as the summer progresses.

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

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 RAC is urging drivers to take the amber weather warnings associated with Storm Claudia “extremely seriously”.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Drivers may wish to consider delaying their journeys until the worst of the impacts are over, especially in areas that are hardest hit this weekend.”

She said the storm precedes a cold snap going into next week when there is potential for freezing temperatures which will make roads hit by heavy rain very slippery with a chance of ice.

“We expect breakdown volumes to be around 10% higher than what’s normal for this time of year, which equates to around 1,000 more people needing our help each day.

“Normal indicators of autumn, like fallen leaves on the road, can also become very hazardous in icy conditions as they create an extra layer between tyres and the road surface, increasing the likelihood of skidding.

“In both heavy rain and frost, it’s vital motorists slow right down and leave extra room for stopping distances,” she said.

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 more than 100 alerts in place around the country.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency had a flood warning in place for Glen Lyon in Perthshire, while Natural Resources Wales has issued 20 flood alerts.

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

Laura Scott, head of crisis response and resilience at the British Red Cross, said: “As Storm Claudia brings heavy rain and strong winds, our emergency response teams are ready to support local authorities and communities that may be affected.

“Our recent research showed many people aren’t aware of how to prepare for a weather emergency such as flooding.

“That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to take a few easy steps now — like securing loose items outdoors, checking drains and gutters, and having a plan for your family and pets if you need to leave your home quickly. These actions are hopefully just precautionary but could make all the difference.

“We know that when severe weather hits, it’s often the people who are already struggling who are most affected. That’s why being prepared and supporting each other is so important.”