02 January 2024 , 05:00
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Large swathes of the country will be drenched after heavy downpours today - with more than half an average month's rain to fall in hours.
Two weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office - one for rain and another for wind, both of which won't expire until 9pm tonight. The heaviest rain is "more likely" across parts of Wales, the Midlands and towards eastern England and Yorkshire.
Up to 50mm could fall, the Met Office says, which would be more than half of an average January's total precipitation for most parts of the UK. In Birmingham, one of the cities affected by the weather warning today, around 70mm of rain is expected throughout the whole of a typical January. Manchester, also affected, sees around 77mm each January.
Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said: "At the moment it does look like a lot of that rain will push across the vast majority of England and Wales, turning widely wet once again throughout Tuesday. Parts of south-eastern, eastern Scotland should hold on to some slightly brighter periods for the bank holiday but it is going to be very wet and windy once again for the Northern Isles, Orkney and Shetland."
The two weather warnings, both to run simultaneously, concern large parts of England and most of Wales (Met Office)Gusts could reach 60mph in coastal areas or 40 to 50mph elsewhere, the Met Office says. The weather warning for wind stretches across the UK, from west Wales to Kent. Some travel disruption is likely as the heavy rain is set to fall on ground that is already saturated as it comes after recent wet weather.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
There will also be a north-south contrast in temperatures ranging from between 8C to 13C but it will feel chillier in the wind and rain. The weather warning concerning rain states: “Over the warning period, 15 to 30mm rain is likely to fall fairly widely, with a few places seeing 35 to 50mm. The worst of the rain should clear southwestern areas of England and South Wales by around the middle of Tuesday but could last into the evening across the north-east of the warning area. Strong winds will affect parts of the area.”
Gusts could hit 60mph in coastal areas or 40 to 50mph elsewhere, according to a yellow weather warning for wind which is also in place on Tuesday from 8am to 9pm.
It says "very windy conditions are likely to quickly develop" over south-west England and southern Wales on Tuesday morning and then spread eastwards across southern and some central parts of England.
It adds: "In coastal areas, winds are likely to gust towards 60mph at times, with a lower likelihood of 70mph gusts. Inland gusts of 40 to 50mph are likely but with a smaller chance of 55 to 60mph gusts, although the extent of such gusts carries low confidence at present."