The UK is facing the threat of more flooding in the coming days, with the Met Office issuing three rain warnings across England and Wales as a tropical storm from the Atlantic moves in.
Storm Sebastian, which is set to bring high tides, three inches of rain and 50mph winds to parts of the UK, will make landfall on Tuesday after first forming north of the Azores archipelago.
The southwest of England and south Wales are due to bear the brunt of the poor conditions, which will be marked by heavy showers and gales along the coast, before the wet weather moves northward.
For Yorkshire and the northeast, the Met Office has warned that “rain will turn heavy and prolonged at times leading to a risk of flooding in places” throughout Wednesday.
This follows the widespread flooding already seen across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire this month.
“Many areas are likely to receive 20-30mm of rain, with a few locations over higher parts of the Pennines and North Yorkshire Moors having 50mm,” the Met Office said.
“The location of the heaviest and most persistent rainfall is still somewhat uncertain and the warning may be updated in the coming days.”
The Met Office has also predicted another cold snap for the end of the week, with polar air from the Arctic arriving on Friday.
Temperatures are expected to reach as low as -5C in the north of the UK.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “The beginning of December looks cold for many, with potential for wintry showers in the north, which may spread to higher ground in the south.”
The adverse weather conditions have already killed one 56-year-old woman and her teenage daughter in flood-hit Gloucestershire.
Elaine Reason, a mother of three, and 16-year-old Grace Reason were driving near their home last Thursday night when a tree fell on their car, crushing them.
Earlier this month, the army was called in to assist stricken communities after towns and villages around Doncaster, Sheffield and parts of the Midlands were drenched by heavy downpours.
Doncaster Council said 970 homes and businesses in the town were affected by the rain between 7 and 15 November.
