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Yellow rain warning for Kent issued by Met Office

It looks like Kent has to wait a little longer for its long, hot summer as the county is set for a soaking.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain from 10am today.

A yellow warning for rain has been issued. Stock picture
A yellow warning for rain has been issued. Stock picture

The rain alert, which covers the whole of Kent, will stay in place until shortly before midnight tonight.

Met Office guidance says "heavy rain may cause travel disruption and flooding in some places".

It warns that some homes and businesses could be flooded, while spray and flooding on roads "could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures".

It adds there is a "small chance" of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life, and that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads.

KCC Highways says it will "continue to monitor and take appropriate action" amid the warning.

A yellow warning for rain has been issued by the Met Office. Stock picture
A yellow warning for rain has been issued by the Met Office. Stock picture

It said: "The showers could be fairly slow moving and give some torrential downpours in places during the afternoon and evening before dying out.

"We could see as much as 20-30mm of rain in an hour, and 60mm or more in the space of two to three hours.

"As with any showery situation, it is not possible to say where the heaviest showers will fall. There is a low risk that we could see more widespread heavy rain."

An Environment Agency spokesman added: "We have so far only seen a minimal response from our river catchments following the overnight rain.

"However, flooding impacts are still possible if we receive the higher forecast isolated totals from any heavy downpours this afternoon and into tomorrow especially in small, rapidly responding and urban catchments.

"We could see as much as 20-30mm of rain in an hour, and 60mm or more in the space of two to three hours."

"We will therefore be closely monitoring the rainfall throughout this period and will be proactively clearing trash screens and blockages from watercourses.

"Any fluvial flooding experienced will also likely be accompanied by surface flooding impacts."

However, from this Friday, the weather looks to be a different story.

The weather experts said: "By the start of this period there is high confidence that there will have been a marked change to much more settled and warm weather, as an area of high pressure becomes slow-moving across much of the UK and Ireland.

"This should bring in a lot of fine and dry weather meaning long sunny spells, variable cloud and mainly light winds should become the general trend for most.

"Temperatures also likely to be above normal for most, and possibly becoming hot at times for parts of the south."

Minster-on-Sea is set to be 20C and sunny on Friday and Saturday, and 21C on Sunday, Maidstone is set to be 22C on Friday and Saturday, and 23C on Sunday, while Canterbury is set to be 20C on Friday, 21C on Saturday and 22C on Sunday.

For all the forecasts, warnings and weather related news, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent

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