NEW weather warnings have been issued as Storm Fergus is set to sweep across the country.
The second named storm of the weekend will arrive in western areas later.
Yellow Met Office warnings for rain have been issued for areas including south-eastern Scotland and north-western Scotland, as well as the north-east of England, with heavy rain falling on already saturated ground.
The storm – named by the Irish meteorological service, Met Eireann – could produce 30 to 40mm of rain, along with a risk of hail and thunder, the Met Office said.
The warnings are in place until Sunday evening for Scotland, and into Monday morning for the North East.
Some 40 flood warnings for England have been issued by the Environment Agency and three by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
The strongest winds are likely to hit south Wales and areas around the Bristol Channel, with a possibility of localised gales.
The bad weather could cause delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport and coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities may be affected by spray and large waves, the forecaster said.
Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “There will be some further spells of heavy rain, particularly in Wales and the north of England.
“In these areas the ground is already very saturated which makes flooding possible.
“There could be strong localised gales, especially in south Wales.”
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said: “Storm Fergus will conclude what has been an unsettled weekend of weather for the UK.
“Fergus will bring some strong winds and heavy rain for a time late on Sunday and into the early hours of Monday morning.
“While the strongest gusts are expected in the Republic of Ireland, Storm Fergus will bring some windy conditions to western areas, including Irish Sea coasts, while also bringing some potentially impactful rain.
“The rain has potential to be disruptive in parts of northern England and parts of Scotland, especially where it’s falling on very saturated ground.”
On Saturday, Storm Elin – also named by Met Eireann – brought strong winds and heavy downpours to parts of the UK and Ireland.
There were 53 flood warnings in place for England, issued by the Environment Agency, on Saturday.
Strong winds hit the south west of the Republic of Ireland on Sunday morning.
Storm Fergus will weaken as it moves to the east in the early hours of Monday morning, but the unsettled weather will likely continue from Tuesday.
A yellow warning for rain has been issued for eastern Scotland from Tuesday morning through to the early hours of Wednesday and will continue to be reviewed in the coming days, the Met Office said.
