The Met Office has escalated its alert level, issuing a significant yellow weather warning for heavy rain across 23 areas of the UK. Residents are being urged to prepare for potential flooding and travel disruption as a deep area of low pressure moves in.
Widespread Alert for Southern England
The warning, which is the only one currently in place for Thursday, 15th January 2026, will be active from 9am until the end of the day. It covers a broad swathe of southern England, encompassing much of London, the South East, and the South West regions.
Forecasters predict that a deepening area of low pressure will track north-east across England and Wales, delivering persistent and heavy rain throughout Thursday. This system is expected to clear slowly during the evening hours.
Expected Rainfall and Flooding Risks
Widespread rainfall totals of 20mm to 30mm are anticipated, with some locations potentially seeing this volume fall in just a few hours. In more isolated spots, accumulations could reach a significant 40mm to 50mm.
The Met Office has explicitly warned that this heavy rain, falling onto already saturated ground, is likely to lead to surface water flooding in some parts. This presents a clear hazard to communities and transport networks.
Public Advice and Travel Disruption
In response to the threat, the national weather service is advising the public to take proactive steps. People are urged to check if their property is at risk of flooding and, if so, to consider preparing both a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.
Essential items for an emergency kit should include torches, a mobile phone power pack, and other crucial supplies in case of potential power cuts. The Met Office also warns that bus and train services face likely disruption, while road journey times are expected to be longer due to spray and flooding.
The areas under the yellow rain warning are:
- London and South East England: Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
- South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Meanwhile, a separate yellow ice warning for much of Scotland remained in force until 10am on Wednesday, 14th January. The broader forecast for Thursday indicates a mix of sunshine and showers in the north, with the cloud and heavy rain from the south gradually spreading northwards later in the day.
