The Met Office has activated a yellow weather warning for eight separate regions across the Midlands, raising alarms over potential flooding and travel chaos.
Areas Under the Weather Warning
Five counties in the East Midlands and three in the West Midlands are now under official alert. The warning, which came into force on Thursday, 15 January 2026, highlights a significant risk of surface water flooding due to heavy, persistent rain falling on already saturated ground.
The affected areas in the East Midlands are Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland. In the West Midlands, the alert covers Warwickshire, the West Midlands Conurbation, and Worcestershire.
Expected Impacts and Disruption
Forecasters warn that the public should prepare for considerable disruption. Bus and train services are likely to be affected, with longer journey times expected on roads due to spray and potential flooding. There is also a possibility that a small number of homes and businesses could experience flooding.
The Met Office detailed that outbreaks of rain would spread northeastwards throughout Thursday, turning heavy and persistent. Accumulations of 20-30mm are anticipated widely, with some locations seeing 40-50mm in isolated spots. The rain is predicted to clear to the northeast by Thursday evening and night.
Wider National Weather Picture
While the Midlands is a key focus, the yellow warning extends far beyond. A much larger swathe of southern England is also included in the alert. The full list of affected areas encompasses counties across South West England, London & South East England, and the East of England.
Residents in the following regions should also stay vigilant:
- South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay, Wiltshire.
- London & South East England: Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
- East of England: Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough, Suffolk.
The weather system will also bring strengthening winds through Thursday afternoon and evening, particularly in southern and southeastern coastal areas where gusts could reach around 50 mph.
The key advice from authorities is for people in the warning areas to check travel conditions before setting out, allow extra time for journeys, and be prepared for possible localised flooding.
