The AA have advised against travelling in ‘hazardous weather’ as strong gusty winds and torrential rain is also set to cause chaos across the UK’s rain network
Storm Claudia is set to bring torrential rain to parts of England and Wales and the Met Office has issued an important warning to people living in affected areas across the country.
Train passengers and drivers have been warned ‘do not travel’ amid brutal Storm Claudia winds with several services already cancelled.
The Met Office has issued amber weather warnings for rain and yellow weather warnings for wind as the storm is set to batter the nation with a high possibilities of flooding.
Storm Claudia, named by Spanish weather agency AEMET, is set to bring ‘strong gusty winds’ and heavy rain to the UK from Friday, November 14.
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Amber warnings for “persistent and heavy” rain come in to force from noon on Friday until the end of the day and cover parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and east of England.
Some places in England are set to have 80mm of rain with Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert claiming “some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours”.
Travellers are urged to be cautious as a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday will be drenched.
The AA has advised against travelling in the “hazardous weather”, saying: “Safety comes first. Conditions may change quickly, so stay updated and make sure you’re prepared before you travel.”
It added: “Flood water can appear quickly, and even shallow water can be dangerous – never try to drive through it.”
British Weather Services’ senior meteorologist Jim Dale told The Mirror: “There could be between 60-90mm in some places, and widespread flooding is expected along with hazardous driving conditions – windy, too. Amber warnings were issued by us for the M4 corridor & surroundings.”
Train companies and stations across the country and preparing for the Storm and some services have already been cancelled.
Network Rail’s Western route director Marcus Jones, said: “We’re doing everything we can to prepare the railway for the arrival of Storm Claudia and will have extra staff at key locations across the network, ready to respond if they’re required.
“I’d urge passengers to check before travelling on Friday and into the weekend, and to take extra care and allow plenty of time to complete their journeys.”
National Rail have also advised to check routes before travelling.
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency said there is likely to be some surface water and river flooding in the north of England. It said it has been working with emergency services and local authorities to ensure they are fully prepared for when the storm hits on Friday.
Flood duty manager Ben Lukey said: “Storm Claudia will bring heavy prolonged rainfall across parts of England, with significant surface water flooding probable across parts of central England on Friday.
“River flooding impacts are also possible tomorrow and into Saturday.”