People across Wales are being urged to prepare for flooding as Storm Ciarán is set to hit.

The second storm in a matter of weeks is expected to bring persistent and heavy rain across Wales this evening (1 Nov) and throughout Thursday (2 Nov).

In addition to the heavy rain, strong winds are also expected. 

A yellow Met Office rain warning, was put in place for parts of Wrexham and Flintshire, but it has been updated to cover the whole of the area.

The weather warning will come into force from 6pm tonight until just before midnight on Thursday.  

Surface water flooding is expected and rivers, which are already swollen, are likely to rise quickly as rain falls on saturated ground. The expected rainfall could lead to significant inland flooding across parts of Wales from Wednesday evening into Friday.  

NRW say their incident response teams are working around the clock with other emergency responders and local authorities to keep people and property safe.

They add that teams are out checking flood defences are in good working order, clearing gulleys and ditches and operating temporary defences where needed to help reduce flood risk to communities.   

MOST READ:

Flood alerts mean that flooding is possible, flood warnings mean that flooding is expected, and severe flood warnings mean that there is a threat to life and significant disruption is expected. 

Katie Davies, NRW’s Duty Tactical Manager, said:  “The current forecasted rain from Storm Ciarán could bring significant flood impacts across parts of Wales and we are urging people to be aware and be prepared. 

 “We’re currently in a period of very unsettled weather - the ground is already very wet, and rivers are already very swollen which means they are likely to respond rapidly.” 

“Making sure you know what the situation is like where you live is really important. You can check your flood risk and the latest flood alerts and warnings on our website which is refreshed every 15 minutes. 

“Our teams are doing all they can to reduce the risk for communities, but if there is flooding we want to make sure people are doing all they can to keep themselves safe too. We urge people to keep away from swollen rivers, and not to drive or to walk through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and contain hidden hazards.”  

Flood alerts and flood warnings are updated on the Natural Resources Wales website.