Storm Claudia flooding warning issued for north of England with a 'month's worth of rain' in 24 hours

The Environment Agency has issued a warning to those living in the north of England as Storm Claudia looks set to bring heavy rain - and potentially a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours. The agency warned of some surface water on roads and river flooding impacts across the north of England as parts of the country were issued an amber weather warning amid a downpour caused by Storm Claudia. Storm Claudia, named by the Spanish Meteorological Service, has prompted amber rain warnings across southern and central England and Wales. Although the storm will not directly cross the UK, it will provoke heavy rains into the weekend. "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," Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said. Experts at the Met Office said some amber warning areas could see in excess of 150mm of rain accumulate, with 60-80mm expected fairly widely. The rains are expected to slowly spread north on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday, the Met Office said. "Minor surface water and river flooding impacts are ongoing across the north of England today," the Environment Agency's Flood Duty Manager Ben Lukey told the Met Office. The government has issued Newcastle with three possible flooding alerts, including coastal rivers in North Northumberland , Lower River Wear and River Rede. Winds in England and Wales' northwest raised an additional hazard concerns with 60-70mph gusts possible in parts of the warning area. "Storm Claudia will bring heavy prolonged rainfall across parts of England, with significant surface water flooding probable across parts of central England on Friday, while significant river flooding impacts are also possible tomorrow and into Saturday," Lukey said. Teams from the Environment Agency were on site to clear debris from watercourses and operate flood defences if needed. They were also ensuring that emergency responders were aware of flood risks and prepared for the storm's arrival. Travel disruption are likely, along with the possibility of power cuts and flooding. Roadusers were urged not to drive through flood waters, with as little as a ruler's length of flowing water enough to float a car.