Parts of the UK may be drenched by more than half a month’s rainfall in a single day this week, the Met Office has warned.
Yellow weather warnings will be in place for the next four days, with heavy rain and fierce winds forecast to lash the nation.
The miserable weather could lead to travel chaos, power outages and flooding.
Northern Ireland has been issued a yellow weather warning for rain today, with up to 30mm to fall within six hours.
Swathes of southern England and Wales will be under a yellow weather warning for rain tomorrow.
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Up to 100mm of rain could fall over Dartmoor and South Wales, which would amount to more than half the average monthly rainfall in December.
More than a dozen flood warnings are also in place for England, with two in Scotland and one in Wales.
Winds reaching speeds of 70mph will batter England’s southeast and the Welsh coast tomorrow, too. Northwest Wales may see winds even stronger than that, the Met Office warning says.
And the bad weather won’t end there – Monday’s wind and rain warnings will remain in place until 4pm on Tuesday.
From midnight until 3pm, another yellow alert for rain will be in place across a patch of north east England.
The warning says: ‘Rain will also be accompanied by strengthening south to southwesterly winds, with gusts in excess of 60mph possible over high ground, which may exacerbate impacts, especially on routes across the Pennines.’
A fourth warning, for 70mph winds in western Scotland, will come into effect from 3pm on Tuesday to 10am on Wednesday.
The warning adds: ‘There is a small chance of even stronger winds should the area of low pressure pass closer to western Scotland.
‘Winds should gradually ease through Wednesday morning.’
Where are the yellow warnings in the UK?
Steven Keates, the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, said: ‘A deepening area of low pressure will approach the UK from the southwest later on Monday, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds, which are likely to affect the UK between late Monday and early Wednesday.
‘The exact track, depth, and timings of this low are uncertain, which makes it harder to determine where will be most impacted by strong winds and/or heavy rain.
‘This system has the potential to cause disruption, and severe weather warnings are likely to be issued over the weekend as details become clearer.’
The rest of the month’s weather remains unsettled, with further periods of low pressure predicted.
What is a yellow weather warning?
The mildest of the warnings, a yellow weather warning, alerts the public to upcoming meteorological events which may cause disruption to travel.
A representative from the Met Office states: ‘Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some who will be directly impacted, and so it is important to assess if you could be affected.
‘Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people, but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower.’
Still, a yellow warning is well worth being aware of, as it may indicate a threat of floods or possible damage to homes and businesses.
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