14/08/2007

Britain Braced For More Bad Weather

Britain is facing yet more bad weather as the Met Office is forecasting gales and heavy rain across the UK this week.

Forecasters say that the worst of the weather is likely to be across the western half of the UK with between 30mm and 60mm of rain expected over some upland areas of England and Wales on Tuesday and into Wednesday.

It is also expected to be very windy, with southwesterly gales likely to reach speeds of between 50 to 60mph, especially on exposed coasts in the south and west.

However, the rain is not expected to be as heavy as last month's, which caused severe flooding in areas of southwest England.

The Met Office said that it was working closely with the Highways Agency and Environment Agency as the strong winds and heavy rainfall could lead to some difficult driving conditions and the risk of some localised flooding.

The Highways Agency said: "The combination of heavy rain and strong winds could lead to some difficult driving conditions, especially for those towing caravans. Drivers are advised to slow down and keep well back from the vehicle in front."

On Tuesday it was reported that nearly a hundred yachts have pulled out of the Fastnet race off southern England because of the bad weather.

However, organisers have said that there were no plans to cancel the event.

(KMcA/SP)

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