Further flooding likely as more rain warnings are issued

· BBC Weather
Image source, PA

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Lead Weather Presenter

Parts of the UK are braced for further flooding as more rain is set to sweep across the country on Monday.

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for rain covering parts of northern and eastern England, and north Wales.

Some areas of northern and eastern England could see a month's worth of rain by Tuesday morning, with 60-80mm (2.5-3in) forecast to fall on already saturated ground.

There are numerous flood warnings in force - mostly across the Midlands and south-west England - following last week's relentless rain. The additional rain is likely to bring further localised flooding, as well as travel disruption and power cuts.

Where is worst affected?

September has been a very wet month for many parts of England and Wales.

Some places in the Midlands and southern England have seen three or four times the expected monthly rainfall, and it is here that flood warnings have been most abundant.

Woburn in Bedfordshire has now seen more than 420mm (16in) of rain since the start of the month - compare that to the 55mm (2in) expected during an average September, and it is not hard to see why flooding has been so severe.

The Environment Agency's flood warning page, external is being regularly updated.

River catchments that are experiencing flooding on Monday morning include the River Axe in Devon, the Ouzel in Buckinghamshire and the Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire.

When will is stop raining?

A change of month will mean a change of weather for most, as rainfall eases away for the start of October.

Tuesday and Wednesday will still bring some showers for parts of central and south-east England, but the rain will be lighter and much less persistent than it has been.

High pressure then builds around midweek, leaving a much drier, quieter spell of weather which will be welcome news for many.

The window of dry weather will not last too long, as another Atlantic low pressure system is expected to move in during the weekend, but at least the ground will have a few days to dry out, and river levels should start to fall before the next downpours arrive.

Read our latest thoughts on the longer-term forecast with our monthly outlook.

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