The Met Office has issued rare amber weather warnings for several parts of the UK as  Storm Claudia rears its ugly head across the country. Heavy rain is expected to spread across much of England and Wales on Friday, accompanied by strong winds, as part of additional yellow warnings issued for the weekend. In its amber alert, the forecaster warned fast-flowing or deep floodwater could present a “danger to life”.

Storm Claudia, named by the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET), has already delivered heavy rain and strong winds to Spain and Portugal. On Friday, the storm’s rainfall is forecast to move rapidly north into England and Wales, where it is expected to stall and remain persistent throughout much of the day.

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. Much of this will fall on saturated ground, increasing the chances of flooding and contributing to the Amber warnings we have issued. Within the Amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event, with 60-80mm fairly widely. Gusty winds in the northwest of England and northwest Wales is an additional hazard, with 60-70mph gusts possible in exposed places within the warning area.”

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