UK weather news: Warning extended until Saturday as heavy rain to batter Britain

The Met Office has extended a yellow weather warning for rain until Saturday as further downpours are expected across eastern Scotland.

The heavy rain falling on ground already saturated from Storm Babet’s impact last week may cause flooding and travel disruption, the weather service said.

At least 20 to 30 mm of rainfall will accumulate from Thursday to Saturday, with 50 to 70 mm likely to fall over higher ground and “a lower probability of 80-100 mm in a few locations”.

There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

It comes after an amber alert was issued for London and South East England today following torrential rain overnight and into the morning.

The amber alert was issued from 6.13am to 8am on Wednesday for parts of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Key Points

• Yellow weather warning extended until Saturday

• Amber warning issued across south coast of England

• What are the weather warnings today?

• What areas does the amber warning cover?

How to drive safely in heavy rain

16:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

More rain is forecast for northern parts of the UK today.

The Met Office has shared a handy video advising how to drive safely through heavy showers.

Storm Babet victims can apply for £500 cash grants, Government says

14:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

People affected by flooding from Storm Babet could be eligible for a £500 cash grant, council tax relief or funding towards repairs and flood protection, the Government has said.

The extreme weather has left hundreds of people homeless while at least seven people are believed to have been killed.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said the money will be available to people who have experienced “exceptional localised flooding”.

Storm Babet victims can apply for £500 cash grants, Government says

Cloud and rain hangs above for Wednesday lunchtime

13:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Heavy showers forecasted for next few days

12:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Yellow weather warning extended until Saturday

11:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Met Office has extended a yellow weather warning for rain until Saturday as further downpours are expected across eastern Scotland.

Environment secretary Therese Coffey blames wrong kind of rain for Storm Babet floods

10:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The environment secretary has suggested the damage done by Storm Babet was harder to predict because rain came in from the east.

Therese Coffey told MPs a “rapid review” would be conducted after highlighting that some flood-hit communities felt they could have been given more pumps to stop them from becoming submerged.

At least seven people are thought to have died in the “unprecedented” weather event, while hundreds were forced to flee their homes in Scotland and northeast England. The storm brought a rare red weather warning to the North with torrential downpours battering the country for days.

Environment secretary Therese Coffey blames wrong kind of rain for Storm Babet floods

When should I turn my heating on? And other cold weather questions answered

10:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

With another round of wet weather upon us, here are some tips on how to embrace the dropping temperature this autumn.

When should I turn my heating on? And other cold weather questions answered

Mapped: Flood warnings in England

09:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Environment Agency has issued 59 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 85 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, across England.

Met Office extends amber warning

08:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Met Office has extended the amber warning until 10am as heavy downpours sweep across the south coast of England.

Fog warning to cause morning travel disruption

08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Areas of fog are expected to continue to develop this morning becoming dense with visibility falling to below 100 m in places, the Met Office said.

This will lead to difficult driving conditions, slower journey times and some disruption. The fog will slowly clear after sunrise but may take until late morning to do so in a few locations.

Here are the places affected:

• Derby

• Derbyshire

• Leicester

• Leicestershire

• Lincolnshire

• Northamptonshire

• Nottingham

• Nottinghamshire

• Rutland

• Bedford

• Cambridgeshire

• Norfolk

• Peterborough

• Suffolk

• Blackburn with Darwen

• Cheshire East

• Cheshire West and Chester

• Greater Manchester

• Halton

• Lancashire

• Merseyside

• Warrington

• Denbighshire

• Flintshire

• Powys

• Wrexham

• Shropshire

• Staffordshire

• Stoke-on-Trent

• Telford and Wrekin

• Warwickshire

• West Midlands Conurbation

• Worcestershire

• East Riding of Yorkshire

• Kingston upon Hull

• North East Lincolnshire

• North Lincolnshire

• North Yorkshire

• South Yorkshire

• West Yorkshire

• York

Red weather warnings in the UK: Recent examples

08:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

While only amber and yellow warnings have so far been issues for this week’s heavy downpours, a “danger to life” red warning was issued last week when Storm Babet hit our shores.

Here are some other recent examples of the Met Office issuing a rare red weather warning:

Red weather warnings in the UK: Recent examples

08:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The latest weather warnings come only days after Storm Babet caused devastation across parts of the UK.

At least seven people are now thought to have died in incidents related to Storm Babet, while hundreds were forced to flee their homes in Scotland and north-east England.

About 1,250 properties in England flooded during the storm, according to the Environment Agency.

A total of 13 areas broke their daily rainfall records for October last week, including sites in Suffolk, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Kincardineshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Derbyshire and Humberside, the Met Office said.

What areas does the amber warning cover?

07:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here are the areas that are affected by the amber warning, according to the Met Office:

London & South East England

• Hampshire

• Isle of Wight

• Portsmouth

• Southampton

What are the weather warnings today?

07:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

There are three weather warnings issued for today.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for fog which covers a wide expanse of the north; a yellow warning for rain for south and east England and Wales; and an amber warning for the south coast of England.

Amber warning issued across south coast of England today

07:22 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An amber weather warning had been issued across the south coast of England from 8am today.

Flooding and disruption is expected, the Met Office said.

Met Office warns heavy rain could cause travel delays

07:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Disruption to transport across the south of England and Wales is expected this morning after heavy rain overnight.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain from 6pm on Tuesday until 10am on Wednesday, as well as one for fog further north.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said the wet weather meant there was “potential for travel delays and poor driving conditions” on Wednesday morning.

He added: “There could be a lot of spray on the roads and some difficult driving conditions as we start Wednesday morning. There could be some delays to public transport as well.”

07:13 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live blog tracking today’s weather developments in the UK.