Fresh disruption across the South West amid stormy weather

Flood alerts and warnings are also in force

Author: Oliver Morgan & Rob Freeman and Pol Allingham, PAPublished 27th Jan 2025

Across the South West, more storms are bringing the threat of flooding and more disruption to transport, as the winter weather continues to batter the region.

A series of yellow warnings for wind and rain have been issued for large parts of England and Wales with more than 40 flood warnings in place.

Currently, our part of the world is under the threat of heavy rain and strong winds - as a yellow warning remains in force until tomorrow morning (28 January).

After a Met Office warning for rain ran until 6am on Monday, there was little respite with much of the same area under a 24-hour warning for strong and gusty winds from the same time.

A warning for periods of heavy rain that could cause some flooding of roads and properties was in place for the West Midlands and most of Wales until 11.59pm on Monday with the Met Office predicting 20mm to 40mm to fall quite widely and 50mm to 70mm on higher ground.

Okehampton in Devon had 35.8mm of rain on Sunday, while an 83mph gust was recorded in Berry Head, south Devon, and 81mph in Capelcurig, North Wales.

A yellow wind warning was in place until 7am on Monday for large parts of southern England, the North West, the West Midlands and Yorkshire.

Flooding saw stretches of the A36 and A303 closed in Devon and Wiltshire overnight, while National Rail said services were running normally between Taunton and Castle Cary after flooding.

Most of the 40 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, issued by the Environment Agency cover the south west and south coast, the two warnings issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Flood alerts and warnings (27 Jan)

Ben Lukey, a flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Although not expected, impacts could include localised flooding from watercourses, drains, channels and flooding from overland flow.

A wet and windy spell arrived in the South West on Sunday morning and was moving across the north of the UK overnight.

Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: "Things are going to stay unsettled in the next few days. We're getting successive spells of wet and windy weather, which is obviously adding to impacts

While not as powerful as Storm Eowyn, a low-pressure system was named Storm Herminia by meteorologists in Spain which was expected to feel the strongest winds.

The Met Office said Monday is expected to see showers, turning heavy in the south alongside strong, gale-force winds, with snow on the hills in the north.

Gales are expected to ease slowly in the South West overnight but pick up in the far north.

Tuesday is forecast to see further heavy showers in the south with a risk of thunder. Longer spells of rain in the North West as expected to ease later.

The wet and windy weather will remain in the south on Wednesday more settled conditions will be present later in the week.

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