UK weather forecast: Met Office issues rain warnings ahead of wet and windy weekend

Flooding possible as 'persistent' downpours soak Britain

Heavy rain is set to soak the UK this weekend (PA)

Flooding could hit parts of the UK as “persistent” rain soaks the country ahead of a wet and windy weekend, the Met Office has warned.

Forecasters have issued weather alerts for Wales, northwest England and western Scotland, where deluges were expected on Friday.

This wet weather is set to continue into the weekend, with downpours also possible on Sunday.

Yellow weather warnings for rain are in place across most of Wales and parts of northwest England until 6pm on Friday. A similar alert for western Scotland is in place until 3pm.

Flooding of “a few homes and business” is likely while roads could become waterlogged, causing delays for drivers, the warnings state. Trains could also be affected.

Downpours are likely to ease on Saturday but “it will still be a wet, grey, rainy day,” particularly in the southern half of the UK, said Met Office spokesman Ollie Claydon.

“There’s a band of rain that is fairly persistent and is still going to be a feature by Sunday,” he told The Independent.

He added: “That’s right across the south coast and up to south Wales and a little bit further into the Midlands.

“It’s also going to be quite windy, especially in the northwest and the southwest.”

Further bands of rain are set to move in later in the weekend, with “only the far north of Scotland holding on to any sort of brightness,” Mr Clayton said.

The Met Office added “autumnal, unsettled weather” would continue into next week, with further showers and longer spells of rain in many parts of the country. It is also forecast to be windy, “with a chance of coastal gales at times”.