Severe weather warnings have been issued for southern England and south Wales as more than a month’s worth of rain is expected to fall in just two days. The Met Office has warned of floods, transport disruption and power cuts as up to 100mm of rain is forecast for some of the already-wettest areas, potentially exceeding the entire month of September’s average rainfall. The warnings will be in place from Wednesday evening through to Thursday night and into Friday, with some areas possibly receiving over two inches of rain on Thursday and up to four inches over a longer period during Thursday afternoon. The expected rainfall is likely to cause travel disruption and could result in flooding of homes and businesses.
Although some reports have suggested a heatwave is building in the UK, forecasters have said there are no signs of any prolonged or extreme heat. Instead, it is expected the unsettled weather will continue across southern areas throughout the weekend, with further spells of heavy rain. However, in the north, temperatures are set to rise to 25C in western Scotland on Friday, which would be the first time since May. While higher pressure may bring some settled weather to the UK, cooler, wetter periods may still occur, particularly in the south, where slightly warmer than average temperatures are expected.
The severity and timing of the weather warnings are a reminder of the potential dangers posed by extreme weather conditions as the effects of climate change begin to be felt more acutely. As global temperatures continue to rise, the likelihood of severe weather events such as heavy rainfall leading to flooding is also increasing. In order to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, it is essential that governments, businesses and individuals take urgent action to reduce emissions and switch to renewable energy sources, both in the UK and around the world
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