Amber weather warning issued in England, Wales as Storm Claudia approaches

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - An amber weather warning has been issued for parts of England and Wales as Storm Claudia moves in, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and the risk of significant flooding.

The UK’s meteorological service, the Met Office, said flooding is likely across the affected areas. The alert, in place from noon until the end of Friday, covers parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, South East, and East of England.

Named by Spain’s meteorological service, Storm Claudia has already prompted warnings in Spain and Portugal and is currently affecting the Canary Islands.

Claudia is expected to disrupt travel, cause power cuts, and trigger localised flooding. Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said:

“Storm Claudia will bring very heavy rainfall to a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday. This rain will become slow-moving, and some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.”

While rainfall is the primary concern, strong easterly winds are forecast, with gusts of up to 70 mph likely in parts of northwest Wales and northwest England.

Ireland’s meteorological service, Met Éireann, has also issued warnings for parts of Ireland, with significant rainfall expected in the southeast into the weekend.

Authorities advise the public to monitor local forecasts and travel updates as conditions deteriorate.