Storm Claudia brought widespread flooding across England on Friday, with at least 17 properties affected and 156 flood alerts still in place. But as the storm eases, the UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather warning for parts of the Midlands and northern England from Monday, signalling an abrupt shift from heavy rain to freezing temperatures.
The yellow alert covers the East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West and Yorkshire and The Humber. It runs from 8am on Monday November 17 until 8am on Friday November 21. Temperatures could plunge to minus 5C in rural Scotland by Monday, with overnight frosts expected across much of the UK.
Rainfall and flooding impact
Wales bore the brunt of Storm Claudia's rainfall. A gauge at Tafalog in Gwent recorded 81.8mm by Friday afternoon - 60 per cent of the entire November average in a single day. Higher ground in Wales saw between 100mm and 150mm of rain, while parts of England received up to 80mm.
Sally Davies, duty tactical manager at Natural Resources Wales, warned on Friday: «This could lead to severe flooding in these areas, and we want people in these areas to prepare for that possibility,» The Environment Agency has issued 33 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected in those areas.
Arctic air moving in
Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick explained the dramatic weather shift: «Overnight (on) Saturday and throughout the course of Sunday, we will start to see winds changing to be a bit more northerly, introducing a lot of Arctic air. Clouds will clear throughout the course of the day so it will allow for some sunshine, but with it, it's going to be turning much colder. I think people are really going to notice a chill into Sunday and feeling cold in many areas.»
Snow and sleet are possible on north-facing coasts and hills early next week. The AA reported a 15 per cent increase in workload due to Storm Claudia. Tony Rich, head of road safety at The AA, said: «Our teams are working hard to ensure our members receive the assistance they need as quickly and safely as possible.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
