Severe Weather Strikes UK: Yellow Rain Warnings Issued Ahead of Holiday Weekend

UK, April 18, 2025 — A yellow weather warning has been issued for parts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, signaling potentially dangerous driving conditions due to heavy rainfall over the Easter bank holiday weekend. The Met Office warned that up to 75mm of rain could fall, beginning Friday evening and continuing into Saturday morning.

The alert went into effect at 6 p.m. on Friday and is expected to last until 9 a.m. Saturday in southwest England and southeastern Wales. The areas under threat include Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, and parts of southeastern Wales. In Northern Ireland, the warning extends to County Antrim and County Down, until 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Officials from the Met Office cautioned residents about possible flooding of homes and businesses, as well as strong winds accompanying the rainfall. “Heavy rain and showers mean that minor surface water flooding is probable across parts of southwest England,” said Mark Garratt, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency. “We urge people not to drive through floodwater — it is often deeper than it looks.”

With Easter marking a busy time for travel, the Environment Agency emphasizes the importance of staying updated on road conditions. Approximately 10.6 million British adults plan to travel domestically, with an additional 2.2 million heading abroad, according to VisitEngland and Abta.

Train services are also expected to face disruptions due to scheduled engineering work. Network Rail will conduct over 300 projects from Good Friday to Bank Holiday Monday, severely impacting services from London Euston to Milton Keynes throughout the weekend. Passengers are advised to check for service updates on Transport for London’s (TfL) website.

Additionally, Meteorologist Honor Criswick noted that although the weekend begins on a wet note, conditions are expected to improve by Easter Sunday. “The rain will ease by late Saturday morning, leading to largely dry weather Sunday with plenty of sunny spells,” she added.

Friday’s rainfall is a sharp contrast to the recent dry spell, ending a week that brought record temperatures exceeding those of southern Europe, highlighting the unpredictable nature of British weather.

As communities prepare for the deluge, the Environment Agency will deploy teams to support local authorities in flood response efforts. Residents are advised to remain vigilant and aware of flood alerts as conditions develop over the holiday weekend.