Met Office issues flooding and power cut warning after Storm Henk

04 January 2024 , 10:07

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More floods are on the way (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A warning has been issued by the Met Office for flooding and power cuts with more heavy rain today.

Great Western Rail said more trains could be cancelled as people across the south of England face further warnings of flooding, power cuts and road closures.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning from 12pm on Thursday with rainfall expected to travel in a north-east direction across the south of England, lasting until 3am on Friday. It added there is a "small chance" that communities could become cut off by flooded roads.

The warning comes in the wake of Storm Henk that battered the UK on Tuesday and forced people to evacuate their homes, leaving one man dead from a tree falling in 90mph winds on the Isle of Wight.

The Met Office added that the spell of rain on Thursday was falling on already saturated ground which could cause "further flooding and travel disruption".

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

A map of rain clouds over the UK today

It said: "The track of the heaviest rainfall remains very uncertain, but there is a chance of 20 to 30 millimetres falling in six to nine hours across a portion of the warning area, with a few places perhaps seeing 40 to 50 millimetres. Impacts are more likely due to the current very wet ground across the region."

GWR services between Swindon and Bristol Parkway remain closed due to flooding on the tracks during Storm Henk, and trains are being diverted via Bath or Temple Meads. Diversions could add 40 minutes to passengers' journeys, it said. The train operator said passengers could expect further disruption if high levels of rain return.

BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas said: “There could be between 20mm and 50mm of rain in the south here falling on really saturated ground so flooding could be exacerbated and that rain only slowly edging away towards the east as we head through this evening and tonight. There are more showers coming in tonight across the north west of the UK, north east Scotland staying pretty windy and wet through the night too.”

The Met Office yellow warning (Met Office)

The Environment Agency currently has 238 flood warnings in place that cover much of the country and there are a further 284 flood alerts. Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “The track of the heaviest rain remains uncertain but there is chance of 20 to 30 mm of rain falling in a 6 to 9 hour period for a portion of the warning area, with a few places seeing as much as 40-50 mm.

“Much of this rain is falling on already wet ground and therefore, impacts are more likely. Meanwhile, a stalled weather front will continue to bring rain and showers across the northeast.”

Tim Hanlon