The Met Office has issued a rare amber warning for heavy rain across a major region of Britain as forecasters warn of a "danger to life" from flooding.
Britain's national forecaster has issued the rain warning for a 16-hour period and has warned homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, with some communities at risk of being cut off completely.
The warning will come into effect from 3pm later today and remain in place until 6am on Monday.
The alert comes as most of the UK already faces yellow warnings for strong winds and rain.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said higher ground in the affected Welsh regions could see between 50 and 70mm of rain this afternoon, evening and overnight.
"A few locations seeing 80-100mm" of rainfall are possible, he warned.
The situation is particularly concerning as the rain will fall on already saturated ground.
"As this rain is falling in an area where the ground is already wet there is the likelihood it could cause some impacts," Page said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Yellow weather warnings for wind are in place across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, most of the Midlands and western England.
Winds across the west of the UK will increase throughout the morning, with gusts reaching up to 70mph in exposed areas.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said many central, northern and western parts of the UK could see gusts of between 50 and 60mph.
Particularly strong winds of between 65 and 75mph are expected along Irish Sea coastlines, Scottish Islands, and other high-ground inland areas.
Travel disruption is expected across affected regions, with delays likely on roads and railways.
The combination of heavy rain and strong winds will create particularly dangerous conditions near coastal areas.
Residents and businesses in the affected areas are being advised to prepare for potential flooding of properties.
Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said Sunday is expected to be the "worst day" before conditions improve.
An unsettled weather pattern is set to continue into next week, further showers and potentially longer spells of rain are expected.
After a very mild period, temperatures will then return closer to the seasonal average across most areas.
The Met Office has advised the public to stay up to date with weather warnings through their website, social media channels and mobile app.
Find Out More...
Britain's national forecaster has issued the rain warning for a 16-hour period and has warned homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, with some communities at risk of being cut off completely.
The warning will come into effect from 3pm later today and remain in place until 6am on Monday.
The alert comes as most of the UK already faces yellow warnings for strong winds and rain.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said higher ground in the affected Welsh regions could see between 50 and 70mm of rain this afternoon, evening and overnight.
"A few locations seeing 80-100mm" of rainfall are possible, he warned.
The situation is particularly concerning as the rain will fall on already saturated ground.
"As this rain is falling in an area where the ground is already wet there is the likelihood it could cause some impacts," Page said.
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Yellow weather warnings for wind are in place across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, most of the Midlands and western England.
Winds across the west of the UK will increase throughout the morning, with gusts reaching up to 70mph in exposed areas.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said many central, northern and western parts of the UK could see gusts of between 50 and 60mph.
Particularly strong winds of between 65 and 75mph are expected along Irish Sea coastlines, Scottish Islands, and other high-ground inland areas.
Travel disruption is expected across affected regions, with delays likely on roads and railways.
The combination of heavy rain and strong winds will create particularly dangerous conditions near coastal areas.
Residents and businesses in the affected areas are being advised to prepare for potential flooding of properties.
Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said Sunday is expected to be the "worst day" before conditions improve.
An unsettled weather pattern is set to continue into next week, further showers and potentially longer spells of rain are expected.
After a very mild period, temperatures will then return closer to the seasonal average across most areas.
The Met Office has advised the public to stay up to date with weather warnings through their website, social media channels and mobile app.
Find Out More...