A NEW weather warning of heavy rain have been issued for Dorset by the Met Office.

The yellow alert will be in place from 10pm on Friday night, January 13, until 12pm on Saturday, January 14, with flooding and disruption expected.

The Met Office warns between 20 to 40mm of rainfall could be seen in parts of the south west accompanied by strong winds which could bring gusts of 40 to 50mph.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “Heavy rain will occur overnight, clearing to the east by late Saturday morning.

"20 to 40 mm rain is likely widely across south Wales and over parts of southwest England, whilst 60-70 mm is possible in and around the high ground of South Wales.

“With conditions already very wet and river levels high, this is likely to cause further flooding.

“The rain will also be accompanied by strong winds with gusts of 40-50 mph.”

In terms of what to expect, the Met Office says:

  • Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
  • Delays or cancellations to train and bus services are possible
  • Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • Some communities may be cut off by flooded roads
  • Possible power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses

According to the Met Office forecast, heavy rain is expected from 1am until around 11am on Saturday.

Light rain is then expected at 12pm and 1pm with drier conditions forecast for the rest of Saturday.

Sunday is expected to be mostly dry with the chance of light rain around 9am and 9pm.