Britons should brace themselves for more dreary weather, as the Met Office has cautioned that up to 70mm of rain will fall across parts of the UK in a torrential downpour.
The weather office has issued a yellow rain warning, beginning today at 6.00pm and lasting until 3.00am tomorrow.
The alert, which warns of “persistent and heavy rain”, covers large parts of the south of England and Wales.
The weather office said: “After a generally cloudy day with showers, more persistent rain will push north this evening and overnight. Rain will be persistent and heavy at times, particularly so for hills, moors and headlands exposed to brisk winds.
“Most of the warning area will see 20-40 mm of rain, with as much as 60-70 mm possible for some areas, for example Dartmoor and Exmoor. Rain should ease from the south during the night, clearing to scattered showers by morning.”
The affected areas in England include Bath, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Reading, Somerset, Southampton, Swindon, Wokingham, and Wiltshire.
In Wales, areas covered by the alert include Bridgend, Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport, Pembrokeshire, and Swansea.
The Met Office has warned that rain will become “persistent and heavy this evening, leading to some impacts on travel and infrastructure”.
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Bus and train services are likely to be affected by the torrential rain, with journey times potentially increased.
The weather office added that journey times will also likely be extended due to spray and flooding on the roads.
“Some interruption to power supplies and other services likely,” the Met Office added.
Whilst the dreary weather will be a disappointment to many, conditions are expected to improve with sunny spells and warmer temperatures reportedly set to return in just days.
The yellow rain alert begins this afternoon at 6.00pm
Met Office
According to a forecast of potential heat hazards over the next 6-15 days issued jointly by the UKHSA and the Met Office, there is a chance of balmy weather returning as Britain is enveloped in warmer air being dragged up from the continent.
The forecast, issued on July 5 read: “A chance for some warmer spells especially in the east or southeast at first, as southerly winds pull warmer air up from the continent with temperatures likely above average for a time.
“While eastern parts see settled conditions, western parts likely to still see some unsettled spells and closer to average temperatures.”