Amber weather warning issued for parts of UK - as Storm Claudia brings heavy rain

An amber weather warning has been issued as Storm Claudia looks set to batter parts of the UK on Friday.

Flooding is likely with up to 80mm of rain expected, the Met Office said.

The warning is in place from noon until the end of the day, with it covering parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, South East and East of England.

Check the weather forecast where you are

The storm, named by Spain's meteorological service, is currently affecting the Canary Islands.

Claudia could result in travel disruptions, power cuts, and flooding in some areas, according to the Met Office.

Met Office 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.

"Within the Amber warning areas, some could see in excess of 150mm accumulate during the event, with 60-80mm fairly widely."

Strong winds across northwest England and northwest Wales pose an added hazard, with gusts of up to 70mph possible in exposed areas within the warning zone, he added.

A colder weekend

By the weekend, the north of the UK will see a colder air mass, with overnight frosts, according to the Met Office.

Some showers will persist, but overall it will be a considerably drier and brighter period of weather in this area.

Further south, the weekend will start off largely cloudy and wet, and still mild in the far south. Gradually, the rain will ease and eventually clear to the south, with the drier, colder conditions further north spreading to all areas by the start of next week.

Early next week, temperatures will drop sharply across the country, particularly in the north and east, bringing the first snow of the season in some areas.

Spain and Portugal under warnings

An elderly couple in eastern Portugal died inside their flooded house on Thursday due to Storm Claudia, the Portuguese Authority of Civil Protection told Sky News.

The couple lived in Fernão Ferro, in the municipality of Seixal, around 26 km south of the capital Lisbon.

Half of the country was under red and orange weather warnings on Thursday, with nearly 14,000 people left without electricity.

Parts of Spain have also been under orange and yellow weather warnings on Thursday due to Storm Claudia.

(c) Sky News 2025: Amber weather warning issued for parts of UK - as Storm Claudia brings heavy rain