Met Office Yellow Warning: Heavy rainfall forecast to sweep across parts of Flintshire today

Heavy rainfall is forecast to sweep across parts of Flintshire today, Sunday, July 23.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning, forecasting possible disruption, particularly to outdoor events and transport services.

The warning, effective until the end of Sunday, anticipates rain that will be heavy at times, likely to cause standing water and spray on roads.

This condition is expected to make journey times longer, adding challenges for local residents and travellers alike.

According to the Met Office, this persistent weather pattern will bring about 20-30 mm of rain to parts of north Wales, with certain areas, mainly over high ground, possibly receiving between 50-70 mm.

Warning of heavy rain on Sunday for parts of north Wales and northern England. Further south, drier and brighter with sunny intervals and scattered showers and feeling warmer than today. pic.twitter.com/UZEyZkrNs2

— Derek Brockway – weatherman (@DerekTheWeather) July 22, 2023

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Periods of rain, heavy at times, will occur across northern England and parts of North Wales during Sunday, bringing fairly widespread 20-30 mm of rain with a few places, mainly over high ground, perhaps seeing 50-70 mm.”

“Following a wet Saturday, some impacts are possible to travel and outdoor events, before the rain gradually eases and starts to clear southwards during Sunday night.”

Despite recent heavy rainfall, Wales will continue to maintain its ‘prolonged dry weather’ status, as announced by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on July 20.

This status persists in light of the record-breaking dry conditions in May-June, which have been impacting the environment.

Wales has received about 85% of the average rainfall for July until the 17th, which varied across regions.

The Dwyfor catchment in Northeast Wales received 58% and the Conwy catchment in North Wales received 109% of their respective average rainfall.

Recent rainfall has revitalised most rivers, except for a few, including Clwyd, Erch, Western Cleddau, and parts of the Wye, which still exhibit lower than usual flows.

Soil moisture levels across Wales have improved, but groundwater, which is slower to react to rainfall, continues to be a concern, especially in Lower Dee, Clwyd, and Valleys/Vale of Glamorgan catchments.

Despite cooler temperatures and rainfall improving environmental conditions, localised issues remain, particularly at protected sites like Anglesey Fens, due to the dry and hot spell in May-June. Groundwater levels in many areas are still low and may take time to replenish. Concerns also extend to the agricultural sector.

NRW’s drought teams continue to watch the situation, implementing actions from the NRW drought plan and monitoring any potential impacts. They are urging people and businesses to conserve water as the school summer holiday period approaches.

An NRW spokesperson said: “

The hydrological outlook states that river flows are likely to be normal to below normal over the summer months.

We are seeing record-breaking land and sea water temperatures across Europe and other parts of the world. These global impacts are felt at a local level, contributing to the changes in our weather patterns and impacting the environment in Wales.

We continue to urge colleagues and members of the public to take extra care whilst outdoors, use water wisely everyday and make changes to our daily lives that reduces our environmental impact.

Please continue to report any environment incidents to our 24/7 incident hotline on 0300 065 3000. ”