Yellow Weather Warning Issued for Parts of UK as Easter Bank Holiday Weekend Begins
A yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, marking a damp start to the Easter bank holiday weekend. The Met Office alert for a "prolonged spell of rain" will be in place until 9am on Saturday in southwest England and southeastern Wales, after being introduced at 6pm on Friday.
According to the Met Office, up to 75mm of rain could fall during the wet period, which may lead to difficult driving conditions and disruption to travel. The forecaster has warned residents in those regions that flooding of some homes and businesses is possible and that downpours may also be accompanied by "windy" conditions. The warning covers Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay, along with southeastern Wales.
In Northern Ireland, a yellow weather warning has been issued for County Antrim and County Down, and will last until 3pm on Saturday. The Met Office suggests people ensure they are checking road conditions near them before travelling, on what is expected to be a busy bank holiday weekend.
Mark Garratt, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Heavy rain and showers mean that minor surface water flooding is probable across parts of southwest England on Friday and into Saturday. Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground and supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding." He added that people could stay up to date with flood alerts on the government website.
As reported by Sky News, Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick said it will be "quite a wet start for many" on Saturday but that the rain is expected to fizzle out over the morning before a "largely dry" Easter Sunday. "There should be plenty of sunny spells around," she added. "Good news if you’re heading out for an Easter egg hunt."
The Easter bank holiday weekend is expected to be busy, with roughly 10.6 million British adults planning to take a holiday in the UK, according to Tourism authority VisitEngland. Meanwhile, the travel trade organisation Abta said about 2.2 million Britons were heading overseas. Train passengers have been warned about disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin engineering work on more than 300 projects across the UK between Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday.
The most significant impact will be at London Euston, which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, and a reduced timetable on Monday. Passengers are advised to use TfL’s journey planner to keep up with the latest rail travel advice. As the Easter bank holiday weekend gets underway, residents and travellers are urged to stay up to date with the latest weather forecasts and travel advice to ensure a safe and enjoyable break.
The Met Office warning is in place until 9am on Saturday, and residents are advised to check the weather forecast near them before travelling. The Met Office has warned of possible disruption to travel, and people are urged to plan ahead and check road conditions before setting out. By staying informed and planning ahead, people can minimise the impact of the bad weather and enjoy a safe and enjoyable Easter bank holiday weekend.
Sources:
https://news.sky.com/story/yellow-weather-warning-comes-into-force-for-parts-of-uk-13351447
