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The Met Office has issued a 22-hour yellow weather warning for rain covering most of Kent as heavy downpours are expected to batter the nation at the start of next week. Coming into effect from 8am on Monday (December 1), the warning will remain in place throughout the remainder of the day and overnight until 6am on Tuesday (December 2).
Blanketing nearly the entire county, the warning area encompasses all of Maidstone, Ashford, Thanet, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Folkestone, Dover and Swale, ending on the border of Medway and Gravesend. Forecasters have advised that between 20mm and 30mm of rain will fall over the warning area, perhaps reaching between 50mm and 60mm where showers are at their heaviest, namely over the North and South Downs.
Additionally, strong winds, which may reach gale force speeds, will accompany the heavy rain and further the expected disruption, particularly along the coast. Those living or working in the affected areas have been advised that these downpours may result in flooding of homes and businesses, causing damage to some buildings.
Spray and flooding are likely to cause difficult driving conditions and road closures, while flooding could see bus and train services delayed or cancelled. There is also a chance the adverse weather could cause power cuts and other losses of services to properties.
Met Office forecasters have stated that some communities may become cut off by flooded roads. Weather maps show heavy bands of widespread rain sweeping across Kent from around 6am on Monday, travelling eastward over the county and lingering throughout the day.
These are expected to be at their heaviest during the evening and overnight with Medway, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford among the areas set to see the most rain at this time. Ahead of the warning coming into place, the public is urged to check if their property is at risk of flooding and, if so, prepare a flood plan and an emergency kit.
Park your car outside of the flood zone, store valuables up high, including electrical devices, important documents and furniture and turn off gas, water and electricity supplies. If travelling, be sure to check driving conditions or bus and train timetable updates in order to best prepare for any disruption.
To best prepare ahead of any power cuts, it is recommended to gather torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. As the weekend looms, Met Office forecasters have advised that showers are likely in the south east over Saturday and Sunday (November 29/30) which could again turn heavy at times, reaching up to 16mm/hr in Kent.
Sunday will be the drier of the two days, but will grow increasingly chilly before the intense rain arrives overnight and into Monday. Looking further ahead, the long range forecast for Tuesday, December 2 to Thursday, December 11 states: "Changeable and often unsettled conditions are expected across the UK during this period.
"Low pressure systems will tend to dominate meaning showers or longer spells of rain for much of the UK, though some brief drier, more settled interludes are also possible. The wettest weather is perhaps more likely in parts of the west, but heavy rain is possible almost anywhere at times through this period.
"The greatest chance of snow will probably be over northern high ground. Given the dominance of low pressure, strong winds are also likely at times.
"Overall, temperatures are predicted to be close to average, though colder conditions may occasionally encroach into northern areas. Some frost is to be expected where drier, clearer conditions develop overnight."
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