Flood warning as heavy rain to hit south of England and the Midlands

The south of England has been warned of the risk of flooding today with heavy downpours forecast.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain from 9am to 10pm on Thursday.

As much as 40 to 50mm of rain is expected to hit parts of the south and Midlands, while 20 to 30mm will fall more widely.

The forecasters are warning homes and businesses could be flooded due to the rain landing on already saturated ground.

The deluge could also lead to travel disruption, the flooding of roads and the possibility of power cuts.

Residents are being urged to check whether their property is at risk of flooding and to prepare flood plans and emergency kits if needed.

The Met Office is alos telling locals to gather torches and batteries in case of a power cut.

The weather agency extended the warning overnight, affecting more parts of England, including the Midlands, South West and eastern areas.

The alert is also warning of strong winds.

The Met Office said: ‘Rain will also be accompanied by strengthening winds through the afternoon and evening, particularly across southern and south east England where gusts around 50 mph may be possible along some exposed coasts.’

It is the first weather warning since Storm Goretti brought gusts of almost 100mph.

A rare red warning for ‘dangerous, stormy’ winds was also issued in the south-west of England.

The storm had one victim, James Southey, 50, who was killed when a tree fell onto his motorhome.

His sister told Metro he was a ‘gentle giant who would do anything for anyone’.

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