UK weather: wind and rain warnings issued for southern England and south Wales
Days after floods hit, further heavy rain likely to cause travel delays and flooding from late Sunday afternoon.
Weather warnings have been issued as strong winds and heavy rain approach the UK, days after some areas were hit by flooding.
The Met Office issued a yellow rain warning – meaning further heavy rain is likely to cause some travel delays and flooding – covering much of southern England and south Wales between 4pm on Sunday and 9am on Monday.
Between 20mm and 30mm of rain could fall within the warning area over nine to 12 hours on Sunday, and 50mm to 80mm in some localised places on higher ground, the Met Office said.
Becky Mitchell, a Met Office meteorologist, said it was “not a huge amount of rain” but because of the recent weather “river levels are quite high and grounds are quite saturated”, so more flooding could develop.
The Environment Agency had 48 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 90 flood alerts, meaning it is possible, in place across England on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, a yellow warning was in place for wind predicted to cause disruption across south-west England and Wales from 9am on Sunday until the end of the day.
There could be gusts of 50-60mph, with large waves, falling trees, travel disruption and some power cuts, Mitchell said.
Further rain warnings could be issued for Monday, but it was forecast to be drier later in the week, she added.
Temperatures are below average, with frost having developed in a number of areas across the UK on Friday night.
The Met Office said temperatures this weekend would be 3C to 4C below average, and on Sunday they would be in the low double figures.
Areas across England experienced heavy rain and localised flooding in recent days, with commuters facing widespread disruption on road and rail services.
According to the Met Office, some counties in southern and central England have already had more than 250% of their average September rainfall.
Parts of the country had more than the monthly average rainfall on Monday and there were further downpours on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
About 650 properties were flooded in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the home counties, according to the Environment Agency, which estimated about 8,200 properties had been protected.
Rail services between Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, and Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, were cancelled on Friday after severe flooding at Wellington station and a fallen tree blocking the line earlier.
The pitch at the SEAH Stadium in Wellington, home to Telford United football club, was flooded on Thursday evening.
The Marston Vale line in Bedfordshire, which operates services between Bedford and Bletchley, is suspended until Monday because of standing water on the track
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