The Met Office has issued a new amber weather warning, cautioning that heavy and persistent rainfall could pose a “danger to life” as stormy conditions sweep across the UK.

Forecasters say south Wales will bear the brunt of the severe weather from late Sunday through Monday night, with 60–80mm of rain expected widely and isolated areas potentially seeing up to 120mm. The agency warns that the volume of rainfall could lead to significant flooding, travel disruption, power cuts and fast-flowing floodwater.

The amber alert follows a series of yellow warnings issued over the weekend for rain and ice across the East Midlands, northeast and northwest England, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Up to 50–60mm of rain and strong winds are likely to affect several regions as unsettled weather continues into next week.

Temperatures are forecast to drop sharply on Sunday, creating icy conditions after Saturday’s rainfall. The amber warning will come into force at midnight on Monday and remain active for 24 hours.

Additional yellow rain warnings will also be in place from midnight on Monday, covering London, southeast and southwest England, the West Midlands, northwest England, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Around 20–30mm of rainfall is expected before the warnings lift at 3am on Tuesday.

A developing low-pressure system is set to push across southern parts of the country, bringing rain, strong winds and some hill snow. “We are going to possibly see a bit of sleet and snow over the high ground, particularly around the South Pennines,” the Met Office said.

UK weather forecast

Today:

Cloudy across England and Wales with a band of heavy rain moving northeast, accompanied by strong winds. Northern Ireland and Scotland will see brighter, colder conditions with wintry showers over high ground.

Tonight:

Rain clearing into the North Sea, though strong winds persist along eastern coasts. Clear spells elsewhere will lead to widespread frost and icy patches.

Sunday:

Drier, brighter and colder for most of the UK. Winds will ease in the east, with showers mainly affecting northern and western areas. Cloud will build over Northern Ireland later, bringing rain by evening.

Outlook (Monday to Wednesday):

Heavy rain and brisk winds will push in through Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will bring sunny spells and blustery showers—most frequent in western areas—with temperatures around seasonal averages. Photo by William M. Connolley at the English-language Wikipedia.