UK weather: Flood and ‘do not travel’ warnings issued as Storm Claudia arrives

Published

3 weeks ago

November 14, 2025

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An amber weather warning has been issued for parts of England and Wales today, as Storm Claudia brought heavy downpours and flooding.

Some areas could see up to a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours, the Met Office has warned.

This may be exacerbated by strong easterly winds, as well as thunderstorms later in the day.

The amber weather warning is in place from noon until the end of the day, and covers parts of Wales, the Midlands, the South West, the South East and eastern England – and has been extended into parts of northern England.

Check the weather forecast where you are

The storm, named by Spain’s meteorological service, has also triggered weather warnings in Spain and Portugal, and is affecting the Canary Islands.

Claudia could also result in travel disruptions and power cuts, according to the Met Office.

The British Red Cross said it has placed its emergency response teams on standby to help communities most at risk.

Under a yellow weather warning for rain, southern Britain can expect 30mm (1.2in) to 50mm (2in) of rainfall widely, with 80mm (3.1in) forecast for parts of east Wales and central England, but the far south of England should escape the worst of it, according to the Sky Weather team.

The easterly flow means east-facing hills could see much more rain, potentially up to 150mm (6in) in southeast Wales.

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “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.”

The rain is the main hazard from Storm Claudia, but a strong easterly wind will develop, bringing gusts of up to 70mph to parts of northwest Wales and northwest England, the Met Office said.

Ireland’s meteorological service, Met Eireann, has also issued weather warnings, with significant rain likely in the southeast into the weekend.

Flood and ‘do not travel’ warnings

The Environment Agency said rainfall has caused flooding in the north of England, with at least 17 properties flooded.

As of 1.20pm, there were 101 flood alerts, warning that flooding is possible, and five flood warnings saying flooding is expected. Natural Resources Wales has issued 23 flood alerts and two flood warnings.

Floods minister Emma Hardy said in a statement: “As parts of the country are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, I recognise people will be concerned about the risk to their homes and livelihoods.

“I am in regular contact with the Environment Agency on their response to the expected flooding, who, alongside local authorities and the emergency services, are already taking action to keep communities safe.”

The AA has also advised against travelling in the “hazardous weather”, adding: “Safety comes first. Conditions may change quickly, so stay updated and make sure you’re prepared before you travel.

“Flood water can appear quickly, and even shallow water can be dangerous – never try to drive through it.”

A colder weekend

By the weekend, the north of the UK will see a colder air mass, with overnight frosts, according to the Met Office.

Some showers will persist, but overall it will be a considerably drier and brighter period of weather in this area.

Further south, the weekend will start off largely cloudy and wet, and still mild in the far south.

Gradually, the rain will ease and eventually clear to the south, with the drier, colder conditions further north spreading to all areas by the start of next week.

Early next week, temperatures will drop sharply across the country, particularly in the north and east, bringing the first snow of the season in some areas.

Warnings in Spain and Portugal

An elderly couple in eastern Portugal died inside their flooded house on Thursday due to Storm Claudia, the Portuguese Authority of Civil Protection told Sky News.

The couple lived in Fernao Ferro, in the municipality of Seixal, around 16 miles (26km) south of the capital Lisbon.

Half of the country was under red and orange weather warnings on Thursday, with nearly 14,000 people left without electricity.

Parts of Spain were also under orange and yellow weather warnings on Thursday due to Storm Claudia.

UK

Search for suspects after ‘pepper spray assault’ at Heathrow Airport

Published

4 hours ago

December 7, 2025

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Search for suspects after 'pepper spray assault' at Heathrow Airport

Police are investigating after a “number of people” were believed to have been attacked with pepper spray by a group of men who then fled.

Officers were called at 8.11am to a multi-storey car park at Terminal 3 following reports of multiple people being assaulted, said the Metropolitan Police.

A statement by the force said: “A number of people were sprayed with what is believed to be a form of pepper spray by a group of men who then left the scene.”

What we know so far
• Several assaulted with ‘pepper spray’
• One arrest – police hunt for more suspects
• Incident said to involve people known to each other
• Incident not being treated as terrorism
• 21 people treated by ambulance service – five taken to hospital
• Injuries not believed to be life-threatening
• Traffic disruption reported – but train lines since reopened

Live updates on Heathrow incident

Armed police attended and one man was arrested on suspicion of assault. He remains in custody and enquiries continue to trace further suspects.

Police are not treating the Heathrow incident as terrorism.

London Ambulance Service also attended the scene and treated 21 people, including five who were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

There is currently some disruption to traffic in the area and Terminal 3 remains open.

Increased police presence

Commander Peter Stevens said: “At this stage, we believe the incident involved a group of people known to each other, with an argument escalating and resulting in a number of people being injured.

“Our officers responded quickly and there will be an increased police presence at Heathrow Airport throughout the morning, to continue enquiries and ensure the safety of those in the area.

“We are not treating this incident as terrorism. I understand the public’s concerns and would like to thank those in the area for their cooperation this morning.”

‘Significant incident’

The London Ambulance Service said a “significant incident” was declared.

There was a “full deployment” of resources and the ambulance service is treating it as ongoing.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We were called at 8.14am today to assist emergency service colleagues at an incident near Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport. Firefighters remain at the scene.”

Heathrow is advising passengers to allow extra time when travelling to the airport and to check with their airline for any queries.

There was disruption to train and Tube services, with some delays on the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line.

National Rail said on its website that lines had been reopened allowing trains to call at Heathrow “following the emergency services dealing with an incident at the airport”.

It said: “Although lines have now reopened, disruption is expected to continue whilst services return to normal, delays of up to 10 minutes and cancellations can be expected until 11.45am.”

National Highways East said on X: “A serious incident within the @HeathrowAirport Tunnel has resulted in the closure of the #M4 spur road southbound between M4 and J4A.

“@metpoliceuk responding. We’ll keep you updated.”

It later said: “Incident has been resolved and all closures lifted on the #M4 southbound @HeathrowAirport spur road between #M4 and J4A.”

People on social media have reported vehicles were being searched at the airport.

A user on X said there was a “major backlog of cars unable to leave the vicinity or enter the drop-off zone” at Terminal 3.

In footage on X, several armed police were seen in a car park.

UK

England and Scotland fans discover where their opening World Cup games will be played

Published

22 hours ago

December 6, 2025

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England and Scotland fans discover where their opening World Cup games will be played

England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in June.

England, who are in Group L, will begin their tournament against Croatia in Dallas at 4pm EST (9pm BST) on 17 June. They will then go on to face Ghana in Boston at 4pm EST (9pm BST) on 23 June and Panama in New Jersey, New York, at 5pm EST (10pm BST) on 27 June.

Scotland are in Group C, and their first match will be against Haiti in Boston at 9pm EST on 13 June (2am GMT the following morning).

They will go up against Morocco also in Boston at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on 19 June and then Brazil in Miami at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on 24 June.

Fans are expected to rush to sort their travel and accommodation plans now that they know where and when the matches take place.

Wales and Northern Ireland have yet to find out if they will qualify.

Wales must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.

If they beat these play-off opponents, they will secure their place in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.

However, Northern Ireland will also be vying to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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UK

World Cup 2026 – who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

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World Cup 2026 - who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play

Scotland and England now know who they will face in the group stage of the next summer’s world cup.

But the fates of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales won’t be determined until they compete in pre-tournament play-off matches in March.

England are in Group L along with Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Their first match will be against Croatia, who beat them in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Scotland’s first match will be against Haiti, in Group C.

Brazil and Morocco are the other Group C teams – both countries were also in the same opening group as Scotland in the 1998 World Cup in France.

Wales have yet to find out if they will qualify as they must face a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff, and then either Italy or Northern Ireland, if they are victorious.

If they can overcome these play-off opponents then they will secure their place in Group B along with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland. But Northern Ireland will also be vying and hoping to guarantee their spot in the same group if they can beat Italy and then either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Republic of Ireland also need to get through the play-offs first and are paired against the Czech Republic for their semi-final. Should Ireland win that match, they will need to beat either North Macedonia or Denmark to get to the finals where an opening group containing joint hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea awaits.