Flood warnings issued across Britain with high winds and heavy rain on the way

Flood warnings have been issued across Britain with 50mph winds and rain due to batter the country in the coming days.

The Met Office issued yellow warnings for “persistent heavy rain” in Wales, western England, and south-west Scotland on Tuesday evening, while a yellow warning for “strong winds” covers the Northern Isles overnight.

A yellow wind warning over the islands north of Scotland could affect public transport, and “some coastal communities will be affected by spray and large waves”, according to the national forecaster.

The warning is in place until 10am on Wednesday, with wind speeds predicted to reach up to 50mph.

The Met Office has said “some disruption” is expected in these areas, including “flooding of a few homes and businesses” and “possible” power cuts.

More wet and windy weather is also on the way for South Wales and south west England, with a yellow rain warning covering these regions for 20 hours from 9pm on Wednesday.

The Met Office said the hamlet of Seathwaite in Cumbria experienced the most rain on Tuesday, with 73mm recorded as of 3.30pm, followed by Capel Curig in Gwynedd, Wales, which was hit by 44mm in the same period.

More than 160 flood warnings have also been issued across Britain by environment regulators, because saturated ground caused by recent wet weather means that even areas which avoid the worst of this week’s deluge could be at risk of flooding.

The Environment Agency, which covers England, has issued 28 warnings, mostly clustered in Dorset where flooding is “expected”, along with 97 alerts across the country, where flooding is “possible”.

Staff from the agency have been erecting flood barriers at several of the most at-risk scenes, including in the Worcestershire town of Bewdley, which has previously experienced flooding from the River Severn.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Wales has issued 34 “flood alerts” across the same areas covered by the Met Office warnings, and one more serious “flood warning” for properties near the River Vyrnwy on the border with Shropshire.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued six flood alerts across south-west Scotland, covering Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Central Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders and West Central Scotland.