Heavy rain expected to disrupt journeys on Easter Sunday evening

Heavy rain in the south of England and parts of Wales will likely cause travel disruption and lead to difficult driving conditions on Sunday evening, forecasters have said.

The Met Office said heavy showers expected between 8pm and 11.45pm may affect bus and train services, with road flooding potentially increasing journey times.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for parts of south-west and south-east England, and parts of Wales.

Affected regions include Portsmouth, Southampton, Bristol, Bath and Cardiff.

Up to 20mm-30mm of rainfall is expected to fall in some areas over a short period of time.

Liam Eslick, a forecaster at the Met Office, said there is a “risk of localised flooding” in areas such as Somerset, Bristol and Dorset as the evening progresses because of sensitive river levels.

Flood warnings were put in place across Dorset and elsewhere on Friday after Storm Nelson saw the south coast battered by rain and high winds.

Mr Eslick said: “Being the bank holiday weekend, people are travelling around at this time, so we’d recommend checking road coverage if people are driving or any bus and train timetables to see if there are any cancellations.”

The rainfall will move northward after midnight, meaning Monday morning showers are likely across central England, he added.

The RAC and transport analysis company Inrix said 2.01 million leisure journeys will be made by car on Easter Monday, with the lengthiest delays expected between 10am and noon.

No weather warnings have yet been issued for Monday.

The Met Office also said the Sunday evening rain may be “accompanied by an isolated rumble of thunder”, as it encouraged people to check if their property is at risk of flooding and plan journeys in advance to minimise disruption to their commute.

Guidance on the Met Office website encourages drivers to reduce their speeds, as rain can reduce visibility, and give themselves more time to brake on slippery road surfaces – suggesting a gap of at least four seconds between traffic.

Areas in the north of England and Scotland are expected to be much sunnier throughout the day and experience less rain, the weather service said.