Met Office rain warning issued for southern England

The Met Office has issued a rain warning which covers Kent, East and West Sussex and Surrey

A yellow weather warning for rain covering southern England has been issued.

The Met Office has put out the warning, which covers Kent, East and West Sussex and Surrey, between 17:00 BST on Thursday and 10:00 on Friday.

Officials warned of possible flooding, power cuts and disruption to transport.

It comes after BBC figures showed Charlwood in Surrey has been one of the ten wettest places in the UK so far in September 2024.

The warning also covers Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and the West Midlands.

The Met Office said that while some parts of the south-east of England will miss the worst of the rain, areas of heavy and showery rain were expected to become widespread.

"There is some uncertainty in the details, but some locations may see up 20-30mm of rain in two to three hours and perhaps 40-60mm in four to six hours,” a spokesman said.

"Lightning and strong, gusty winds may be additional hazards, especially in south west coastal areas and given the recent very wet weather, this will bring the potential for further flooding and transport disruption."

People in areas prone to flooding are being advised to prepare an emergency flood kit.

Additionally, power cuts could be possible and spray and flooding could make driving conditions tricky and some roads could close.

There is also a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services.