UK – Storm Claudia have been forecast to cause flooding across the UK and an amber weather alert have been issued in some parts of England and Wales.

The UK’s meteorological service, the Met Office, said flooding is likely across the affected areas. The alert, in place from noon until the end of Friday, covers parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, South East, and East of England.

Named by Spain’s meteorological service, Storm Claudia has already prompted warnings in Spain and Portugal and is currently affecting the Canary Islands.

Claudia is expected to disrupt travel, cause power cuts, and trigger localised flooding.

“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,” Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said.

While rainfall is the primary concern, strong easterly winds are forecast, with gusts of up to 70 mph likely in parts of northwest Wales and northwest England.

Ireland’s meteorological service, Met Éireann, has also issued warnings for parts of Ireland, with significant rainfall expected in the southeast into the weekend.

Authorities advise the public to monitor local forecasts and travel updates as conditions deteriorate.