Met Office issues warning over heavy rain as UK braced for Easter Sunday travel disruption

Downpours may disrupt bus and train services, as well as the roads, forecasters say

Heavy showers are expected across the south west of England between 8pm and 11.45pm on Sunday (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

Heavy rain in the south of England and parts of Wales could cause travel disruption and lead to difficult driving conditions on Sunday evening, forecasters have said.

The Met Office said heavy showers expected between 8pm and 11.45pm may affect bus and train services, with road flooding potentially increasing journey times.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for parts of south-west and south-east England, and parts of Wales.

Affected regions include Portsmouth, Southampton, Bristol, Bath and Cardiff.

Up to 20mm-30mm of rainfall is expected to fall in some areas over a short period of time.

Liam Eslick, a forecaster at the Met Office, said there is a “risk of localised flooding” in areas such as Somerset, Bristol and Dorset as the evening progresses because of sensitive river levels.

“Being the bank holiday weekend, people are travelling around at this time, so we’d recommend checking road coverage if people are driving or any bus and train timetables to see if there are any cancellations,” he added.

The Met Office also said the heavy evening rain may be “accompanied by an isolated rumble of thunder”, as it encouraged people to check if their property is at risk of flooding and plan journeys in advance to minimise disruption to their commute.

Guidance on the Met Office website encourages drivers to reduce their speeds, as rain can reduce visibility, and give themselves more time to brake on slippery road surfaces – suggesting a gap of at least four seconds between traffic.

Areas in the north of England and Scotland are expected to be much sunnier throughout the day and experience less rain, the weather service said.