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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Widespread flood warnings as UK braces for Storm Frank | Widespread flood warnings as UK braces for Storm Frank |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| People in the north of England, south and central Scotland, and Northern Ireland are being advised to brace themselves for further downpours and the possibility of increased flooding overnight, as Storm Frank hits. | People in the north of England, south and central Scotland, and Northern Ireland are being advised to brace themselves for further downpours and the possibility of increased flooding overnight, as Storm Frank hits. |
| Related: Storm Frank: EA chief returns from carribbean as storm looms - live coverage | Related: Storm Frank: EA chief returns from carribbean as storm looms - live coverage |
| Severe flood warnings are in place in nine areas in England, with the Environment Agency warning people in a further 42 locations to make immediate preparations for expected flooding. | Severe flood warnings are in place in nine areas in England, with the Environment Agency warning people in a further 42 locations to make immediate preparations for expected flooding. |
| Yorkshire communities along the rivers Aire, Ouse and Swale are expected to bear the brunt of fresh flooding, according to the EA. But floods are also expected in Keswick in Cumbria, Maghull in Merseyside, and around the Dee from Shocklach to Chester. They could potentially affect areas as far south as Tewkesbury. | Yorkshire communities along the rivers Aire, Ouse and Swale are expected to bear the brunt of fresh flooding, according to the EA. But floods are also expected in Keswick in Cumbria, Maghull in Merseyside, and around the Dee from Shocklach to Chester. They could potentially affect areas as far south as Tewkesbury. |
| Scotland has one flood warning, around Glen Lyon in the Perth and Kinross region, and a further 14 alerts that flooding is possible. | Scotland has one flood warning, around Glen Lyon in the Perth and Kinross region, and a further 14 alerts that flooding is possible. |
| The weather across northern England and central Scotland will get progressively worse overnight and into Wednesday. Storm Frank, blowing in from the Atlantic, will first hit Northern Ireland, where a Met Office severe weather warning of prolonged heavy rain is in place from 9pm. | The weather across northern England and central Scotland will get progressively worse overnight and into Wednesday. Storm Frank, blowing in from the Atlantic, will first hit Northern Ireland, where a Met Office severe weather warning of prolonged heavy rain is in place from 9pm. |
| North-west England, which has experienced some of the worst of the floods in recent days, will be hit just after midnight, with a Met Office amber warning calling for residents to “be prepared for possible disruption”. | North-west England, which has experienced some of the worst of the floods in recent days, will be hit just after midnight, with a Met Office amber warning calling for residents to “be prepared for possible disruption”. |
| It says: “Rain, heavy at times and often prolonged, will affect many parts of western and northern Britain on Wednesday. Some large rainfall accumulations are likely across parts of Cumbria. Rainfall amounts and impacts will not be as great as across Cumbria in early December, but some impacts are likely due to flooding.” | It says: “Rain, heavy at times and often prolonged, will affect many parts of western and northern Britain on Wednesday. Some large rainfall accumulations are likely across parts of Cumbria. Rainfall amounts and impacts will not be as great as across Cumbria in early December, but some impacts are likely due to flooding.” |
| The chief forecaster’s assessment states: “A cold front will become slow moving across the area on Tuesday night and early Wednesday before clearing during Wednesday afternoon. Rainfall accumulations of 60-70mm are possible quite widely, with perhaps in excess of 120mm or more in the most exposed spots on high ground. Some medium level disruption due to flooding from either rivers or surface water is thought likely.” | The chief forecaster’s assessment states: “A cold front will become slow moving across the area on Tuesday night and early Wednesday before clearing during Wednesday afternoon. Rainfall accumulations of 60-70mm are possible quite widely, with perhaps in excess of 120mm or more in the most exposed spots on high ground. Some medium level disruption due to flooding from either rivers or surface water is thought likely.” |
| At the same time, southern and western parts of Scotland will face deluges for most of Wednesday that threaten both surface water and river flooding. The Met Office has an amber warning in place from 12.15am until 6pm for Grampian; Strathclyde; Central, Tayside and Fife; Dumfries and Galloway; and Lothian and Borders. | At the same time, southern and western parts of Scotland will face deluges for most of Wednesday that threaten both surface water and river flooding. The Met Office has an amber warning in place from 12.15am until 6pm for Grampian; Strathclyde; Central, Tayside and Fife; Dumfries and Galloway; and Lothian and Borders. |
| “Rainfall accumulations through this period are expected to be widely 20-40mm, with 80mm over some higher ground within the area, and the potential for some exposed locations in south-west Scotland to receive 100-150mm,” according to the chief forecaster. | “Rainfall accumulations through this period are expected to be widely 20-40mm, with 80mm over some higher ground within the area, and the potential for some exposed locations in south-west Scotland to receive 100-150mm,” according to the chief forecaster. |
| Less severe yellow warnings for wind and rain are in place throughout the night and until Wednesday afternoon across the west of the British Isles, from Orkney and Shetland in Scotland down to Devon and Cornwall in south-west England, as well as yellow warnings of rain across north-east England and Yorkshire. | Less severe yellow warnings for wind and rain are in place throughout the night and until Wednesday afternoon across the west of the British Isles, from Orkney and Shetland in Scotland down to Devon and Cornwall in south-west England, as well as yellow warnings of rain across north-east England and Yorkshire. |
| A Met Office spokesperson said: “We are looking at 20-40mm quite widely, 60mm over higher ground. In the wettest areas which could include south and central Scotland as well as Cumbria [we] could see 100mm.” | A Met Office spokesperson said: “We are looking at 20-40mm quite widely, 60mm over higher ground. In the wettest areas which could include south and central Scotland as well as Cumbria [we] could see 100mm.” |
| Severe winds could also pose problems, with the spokesperson saying: “We are looking at gusts of 50-65mph, with some exposed areas such as the west of Scotland and Shetland seeing 70-80mph. Wales and south-west England would see winds of 50-60 mph, with gusts reaching up to 70mph in exposed areas. | Severe winds could also pose problems, with the spokesperson saying: “We are looking at gusts of 50-65mph, with some exposed areas such as the west of Scotland and Shetland seeing 70-80mph. Wales and south-west England would see winds of 50-60 mph, with gusts reaching up to 70mph in exposed areas. |
| The environment secretary, Liz Truss, advised people in affected areas to follow EA warnings. “Yesterday we saw more settled weather and some water levels receding,” she said. “However, thousands of families and businesses across the north of the country will have endured another devastating day and, with Storm Frank forecast for this evening, we remain committed to doing everything we can to help those communities affected. | The environment secretary, Liz Truss, advised people in affected areas to follow EA warnings. “Yesterday we saw more settled weather and some water levels receding,” she said. “However, thousands of families and businesses across the north of the country will have endured another devastating day and, with Storm Frank forecast for this evening, we remain committed to doing everything we can to help those communities affected. |
| Related: How can the UK prepare for the floods to come? | |
| “Environment Agency teams are deployed in large numbers in our worst impacted and most at risk communities and I will be chairing a Cobra meeting again this morning to ensure that everything possible is being done. | “Environment Agency teams are deployed in large numbers in our worst impacted and most at risk communities and I will be chairing a Cobra meeting again this morning to ensure that everything possible is being done. |
| “Communities across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire are being urged to remain vigilant for rain expected later today. Floodwaters have been receding slowly across flood-hit areas, but rain will be falling on saturated ground, bringing the potential for further significant flooding.” | “Communities across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire are being urged to remain vigilant for rain expected later today. Floodwaters have been receding slowly across flood-hit areas, but rain will be falling on saturated ground, bringing the potential for further significant flooding.” |