New yellow weather warnings have been issued for England and Wales by the Met Office for Thursday and Friday, following heavy rainfall in southern and central parts of the country that led to flooding in recent days. The warnings cover most regions of both countries, with the exception of the northwest of England and part of the West Midlands. Though the intensity of the rainfall expected over the next two days is lower than what was experienced over the weekend, Simon King, lead presenter for the BBC’s weather team, has warned that the risk of floods remains high.
The Meteorological Office predicts that the rain will cause as much as 100 millimeters of rainfall in North Yorkshire and the Pennines — the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain in that region — raising the possibility of flooding. While the weather is forecast to be drier over the weekend, temperatures are expected to further fall below the average for this time of year. The Environment Agency has issued 27 flood warnings and 50 less severe flood alerts throughout England.
On Monday and Tuesday, areas including Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire were among the worst hit by floods. Caravans on a holiday park in Northampton were surrounded by water from a nearby river that had burst its banks, causing emergency services to rescue 43 people. The River Wandle in south London also overflowed, leading to “significant damage” to the pitch of the local football team, AFC Wimbledon. Rail services were delayed, inundating roads and fields, and rivers overflowed. Even a sinkhole formed, causing the closure of a football stadium in London.
The Met Office has issued three warnings. The first warning covers southern England, southern Wales, and parts of the Midlands, and is effective from 10:00 BST on Thursday. A continuation of the same warning will be in place for southern England and southern Wales on Friday until 10:00 BST. A separate warning is in force for northern England to the east of the Pennines and northeast England between 10:00 BST on Thursday and midnight
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