Overview
- Met Office amber warnings are in force from midday to midnight for parts of central and southern England and South Wales, with 60–80mm of rain likely and more than 150mm possible on higher ground.
- Yellow warnings cover a wider area for rain and for easterly winds in northwest England and northwest Wales, with gusts reaching 60–70mph and a risk of thunderstorms later.
- The Environment Agency reports multiple flood alerts and several warnings as it prepares defences, warning that significant surface water flooding is probable in central England and river flooding is possible into Saturday.
- Network Rail and operators including Avanti West Coast, Northern, CrossCountry, Chiltern, London Northwestern, West Midlands Railway, East Midlands Railway and TransPennine Express have imposed speed restrictions, reduced timetables or cancellations, urging passengers to check before travel.
- Safety groups including the AA, RAC and RoSPA advise avoiding non‑essential journeys, securing loose items and never driving through floodwater, with early impacts already including delays, local train disruptions and some school closures.