Rain and flood warnings issued for Milton Keynes area ahead of Storm Claudia

Rain and flood warnings have been issued in the Milton Keynes area ahead of Storm Claudia, which is forecast to strike tomorrow.

Yellow and amber weather warnings for rain are in place, with a yellow warning in place between 6am on Friday (14/11) and 6am the following day (15/11), as well as a stronger amber warning between 12pm on Friday and 11:59pm at the end of the day.

The amber warning issued by the Met Office is because Storm Claudia is expected to bring heavy rain leading to flooding and disruption on Friday.

Warnings covered by the amber warning includes warnings that spray and flooding would lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, while delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely.

Fast flowing or deep floodwater is seen as likely, causing danger to life, with homes and businesses likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.

There is also a good chance some communities will be cut off by flooded roads, while power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses are considered possible.

An amber flood warning has also been issued for places along the Great Ouse River in areas between Thornborough in Buckinghamshire and Newport Pagnell.

The warning, which was issued earlier today, has been issued to warn people that high river levels may lead to flooding.

Areas most at risk are those around the River Great Ouse from Thornborough to Newport Pagnell, including Dogsmouth Brook, with rainfall and river levels to be monitored.

Storm Claudia, which has been named by the Spanish Meteorological Service after ongoing impacts in Canary Islands, has resulted in Amber rain warnings in southern and central parts of England and Wales. Friday is forecast to be the worst affected day, although some rain is also expected on Saturday (15/11).

The Met Office’s Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said, “Storm Claudia will bring very heavy rainfall to a large swathe of central and southern England and Wales on Friday into Saturday. This rain will become slow moving, and some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.

“Much of this will fall on saturated ground, increasing the chances of flooding and contributing to the Amber warnings we have issued. Within the Amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event, with 60-80mm fairly widely. Gusty winds in the northwest of England and northwest Wales is an additional hazard, with 60-70mph gusts possible in exposed places within the warning area.”