The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for the coming four days with heavy rain forecast for tomorrow (Monday 12 January).
Gales are also expected blast Brighton and Hove and pick up pace as the day becomes night. Wind speeds are expected to reach 30mph with gusts of up to 50mph from the south west.
Almost 3in – or up to 70mm – of rain is expected in bursts by the end of the week, prompting the official warnings issued late this morning and early this afternoon (Sunday 11 January).
The first downpour is expected after lunch tomorrow. The Met Office said: “A spell of persistent and at times heavy rain is expected to develop across the far south and south east of England on Monday afternoon, lasting into Tuesday morning, before clearing away to the south east.
“The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to travel from standing water or localised flooding.
“An active cold front is expected to come south east across England through Monday before stalling across the far south and south east.
“Rainfall here is likely to become persistent and at times heavy, leading to 15mm to 20mm widely in the warning area, with as much as 30mm locally.
“This may lead to flooding either from standing water or fast-responding streams and rivers.”
The official warning runs from 2pm tomorrow until 9am on Tuesday (13 January). A second warning takes effect from noon on Wednesday (14 January) until 9am on Thursday (15 January).
The Met Office said: “A deepening area of low pressure is expected to track across the north of the UK during Wednesday and into Thursday.
“A spell of heavy rainfall is expected across many parts of western and southern England and Wales in association with this system, lasting from Wednesday afternoon until Thursday morning, when clearer, colder weather is expected to spread south east.
“The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to travel due to standing water and spray as well as localised flooding.
“Another Atlantic low pressure system is expected to deepen significantly as it approaches the UK.
“The low pressure centre is likely to track across the north west of Britain while an active frontal system comes south east across England and Wales.
“This system has the potential to produce 20mm to 40mm of rainfall in the warning area, with as much as 60mm to 80mm over higher ground in the west.
“These rainfall amounts are likely to lead to standing water and also the risk of localised river flooding.
“The track of the developing low is still open to some doubt so this warning will be reviewed in the coming days to adjust areas as confidence increases.”
Wind speeds are forecast to reach almost 40mph at times, with gusts of up to 60mph.
Temperatures will peak at 51F (11C) tomorrow before dropping to between 39F (4C) and 43F (6C) on Tuesday and Wednesday.
