UK weather: Flood warnings issued as forecasters predict a month of storms, wind and heavy rain to batter Britain

Long-term outlook not looking good

Heavy rain sweeps over Piccadilly Circus in London (PA)

Forecasters are warning the UK to expect a month-long conveyor belt of storms as we head into December, after heavy rain overnight saw flood alerts put in place across the country.

The Environment Agency said there were concerns for flash floods in south-east England after 20mm of rain fell in just six hours overnight, and homeowners in areas experiencing rapid rises in river levels were “recommended to deploy any property level flood defences”.

The Met Office, which had issued severe weather warnings ahead of the storm’s passage across the UK yesterday, said things would clear up in time of for most Remembrance Sunday services today.

But those sunny spells will be followed by coastal showers and then wide-spread heavy rain and strong wind on Monday night.

Forecasters warned of another band of storms moving over from Thursday into next weekend – and it establishes a pattern of generally unsettled weather and higher-than-average rainfall that will “most likely” continue for the next 30 days.

Calum McColl, a Met Office forecaster, said: “We’ve seen the rain band push east overnight, and behind it there are sunny spells and some coastal showers.

“Those will continue in western areas, but it will be a dry and bright day for many on Remembrance Sunday.

“Into the evening, showers will continue and may well become more frequent in coastal areas – and rain will spread countrywide on Monday night and into Tuesday.”

The long-term weather outlook, the Met Office said, was “probably remaining unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain, heavy at times, interspersed by drier and brighter interludes”.

The forecast is also for a warmer-than-average start to December – meaning there’s no snow on the horizon just yet.