UK weather: 15-hour warning for rain in place as Britons brace for unsettled conditions

Met Office warns people of travel chaos with most of the rain falling in 2-3 hour window

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings, including a 15-hour one for heavy rain on Friday as Britons brace for an unsettled and colder weekend.

The warning started at midnight covering Southwest England and most of Wales and will stay in place until 3pm on Friday.

A band of rain will move across the region after midnight, lashing cities such as Plymouth, Cardiff, Bath and Swansea in Wales, with the heaviest rain in the morning.

Around 10 to 15 mm of rainfall is likely, with perhaps 30 mm in a few locations.

The forecaster has warned people to brace for travel chaos with spray and flooding on roads making journeys longer.

Mao shows Met Office rainfall forecast for early morning and areas under yellow weather warning for rain (Met Office)

“With much of the rain falling in 3 hours, some travel disruption is probable,” the Met Office said.

The national forecaster said motorists can “give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions”, while people planning to use public transport should “check bus and train timetables” and amend travel plans if necessary.

A total of 111 flood alerts are in place for potential flooding and 32 flood warnings for possible flooding.

Another warning for wind gusts is in place starting from 2.30am until 8am, covering the southern coast from Plymouth to Brighton.

Met Office issues 15-hour yellow weather warning for heavy rains and a 6-hour warning wind (Met Office)

Elsewhere, Friday will have a frosty start with patchy fog clearing in the morning.

Yesterday was the last day of meteorological winter with spring officially started, but the Met Office is asking people to not pack up their winter coats yet as colder and unsettled conditions are expected to last a few more days.

Some hill snow and rainfall had been lashing parts of the UK on Thursday. On Friday the rain and snow will be spreading eastwards, turning heavy at times, while scattered showers follow behind.

Met Office forecast for Friday shows more snow falling on higher grounds, with up to 10cm expected in hilly regions (Met Office)

Temperatures will be in single digits throughout the country, close to the average or slightly down but often windy, making it feel colder.

Weather will remain chilly this weekend before it improves on Sunday, Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said.

“This coming weekend is going to be feeling quite chilly,” she said. “For many of us, it will be quite unsettled, particularly through Saturday.”

“We have got this cold Arctic air with us from Friday and that will last all the way through the weekend.”