Met Office maps show exact time heavy rain will batter Greater Manchester as yellow warning comes into force

Met Office weather maps show exactly when Greater Manchester will be battered by heavy rain as a yellow weather warning comes into force on Tuesday evening.

Forecasters issued a yellow weather warning for rain, warning that people in affected areas may see some travel disruption and flooding over the next 24 hours.

The warning stretches from Plymouth up to Manchester, covering parts of north-west and south-west England, Wales and the West Midlands. It comes into force at 6pm on Tuesday and will remain in place until midday on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Met Office warns of 'very strong winds and heavy rain' after 22C warm spell

Areas of heavy rain are expected to develop and push north across the warning area from Tuesday evening. The Met Office has warned that some areas could see up to 80cm of rain fall in the space of six hours.

The weather agency also said isolated thunderstorms are possible in the south of the warning area, with lightning an additional hazard.

The Met Office warning reads: "Rain will develop in southwest England late afternoon, before becoming heavier and expanding north on Tuesday evening and overnight into Wednesday.

"Many places will see around 10 to 20mm of rain, but there is a chance some locations may see considerably more than this over a six hour period, most likely parts of southwest England and south Wales. A few places may see 50 to 80mm of rain fall in six hours."

Weather maps show a band of heavy rain covering Wales and the West Midlands from around 10pm. The band of rain will move northwards, hitting Manchester around an hour later at 11pm.

The rain is expected to continue overnight with parts of Greater Manchester seeing up to 32mm at times.

The heaviest rain is expected to have passed the region by around 9am on Wednesday morning. However, patchy rain is expected for the remainder of the day.

The yellow weather warning will remain in place until midday on Wednesday.

It comes as temperatures are expected to reach above 20C in parts of the UK. Southerly winds across western Europe will transport a warm and humid airmass from the western Mediterranean and northwest Africa across the UK over the next couple of days, according to the Met Office.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert, said: "Warm air arriving from the south will allow temperatures to rise above average despite it often being cloudy. On Wednesday, parts of southeast England could see 20 or 21C, with the mid to high teens expected across many parts of the UK."

Further bands of rain or showers are expected to move across the country towards the end of the week, with temperatures remaining mild for the time of year.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Dan Holley, said: "A low pressure system could bring strong winds to the north and west on Friday. This combined with high spring tides may result in some coastal impacts, potentially continuing into the weekend on some coasts."

It comes after the Met Office urged Brits to prepare for further flooding this winter. Despite the recent wet weather, the UK is not "locked into" a winter of higher flood risk, according to officials. However, forecasters said some flooding is still expected in the coming months.

Experts from the Met Office and the Environment Agency said climate change was leading to more frequent extreme weather events, with last winter's storms and subsequent flooding intensified by human-induced global warming. England experienced its wettest 18 months on record up to March this year, causing widespread disruption, while some English counties saw their wettest September on record last month.

Dr Will Lang, from the Met Office, highlighted that many areas remain very wet, with high river levels and sensitive ground conditions, particularly in southern and central England. However, he stated that this doesn't necessarily mean the trend will continue throughout autumn and winter. He suggested there is "still time for things to reset", with more stable conditions likely in the coming weeks.