Storm Babet to bring "very heavy, possibly disruptive” rainfall

Photo: jittawit.21 - stock.adobe.com

Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures

Storm Babet will bring a period of very wet weather to parts of the Rochdale borough later this week.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather alert for the majority of the north from 9pm on Wednesday (18 October) to 6am on Saturday (21 October).

It says while there is still some ‘uncertainty’ in the details, there is potential for periods of “very heavy, possibly disruptive” rainfall to develop on Thursday and perhaps continue into Saturday, although at times the rain may ease.

The Met Office says: “The heaviest rainfall is likely to be across high ground in this region, although even some low lying more populated areas are likely to see some heavy rainfall also.

“Widely 20-40 mm of rain is likely to fall, but some upland areas of northern England and southern Scotland could see as much as 70-100 mm of rain.

“The rain may also be accompanied by some very strong southeasterly winds at times, which could exacerbate impacts.”

What to expect

• There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
• Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services
• Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads
• There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses