Floods imminent but drier and colder weather forecast for start of December
November’s dismal weather will finally change, with drier and colder conditions coming for the start of December, forecasters said.
But there are still nine current flood warnings in the UK – meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required.
The areas affected as at 5.26am on Thursday are: Barrow upon Humber, Low Barlings and the Short Ferry area, Low lying properties in the Upper Hull catchment, North Bank Road alongside the River Nene, east of Peterborough and west of Dog-in-a-Doublet Sluice, North Sea at Roker, Sunderland, North Sea at Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth, North Sea coast at Hornsea, River Esk from Briggswath to Ruswarp and River Severn at Sandhurst and Maisemore.
Temperatures are set to dip below normal for the time of year by the weekend.
The drier spell will be welcomed after more than half a month’s worth of rain pummelled the parish of Wattisham near Stowmarket in Suffolk in the 24 hours to 6am on Wednesday, the Met Office said.
It received 32.2mm (1.27in) of rain in that period, while the average November rainfall for the region is 60mm (2.36in).
That was the highest volume of rainfall anywhere in the UK during that time.
Thursday is expected to be a transition day as the spell of low pressure leaves the UK before a new high comes in.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “We have certainly had a wet autumn but thankfully as we go into Friday and the weekend, for many parts of the UK it should be largely dry.
“Thursday is looking for some of us a wet day but not as wet as we have seen on Wednesday.
“Our warnings will expire at 6am on Thursday and after that we will be warning-free for a few days.
“It will be a transition day between the wet and mild weather we have had this week, to something a bit colder and drier.
“The transition will start across Scotland during Thursday and transfer overnight into Friday.
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“There will be rain around and it will be heavy at times.
“The heaviest rain will be across Northern Ireland and north west England and sink its way slowly south through the day.
“By the evening rush hour, it will be fairly wet across parts of Wales, the south Midlands and south east England.
“Once that rain gets out of the way, into Friday, we will have largely dry weather and temperatures will take a tumble.”
He said while highs earlier this week in the South had reached 13C, they will drop to 8-9C in the South and as low as 4-5C in the North.
He said: “Over the weekend, as we go into the first few days of December, it is going to be drier and colder.”