Potential for floods and disruption as heavy rain forecast for Wales

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is urging people to be alert for potential flooding and surface water issues following forecasts for heavy rain and strong winds across Wales.

A yellow Met Office warning for rain is in place from 3pm today (December 31) until 11am tomorrow ( January 1) with the highest rainfall totals expected across high ground in North and Mid Wales especially in parts of Gwynedd, Conwy and northern parts of Ceredigion and Powys.

NRW’s incident response teams are working with other emergency responders and local authorities, checking flood defences are in good working order and making preparations to help keep people and property safe. 

People are being urged to consider any steps they may need to take now to be prepared, and to take extra care if you need to travel during this period.

With a yellow wind warning also in place between 12.15am and 3pm tomorrow (January 1), we are also asking people to avoid travelling to our forests and reserves and to keep away from seafronts and promenades.

Steps to take now to be prepared include:

• Register for NRW’s free flood warning service at naturalresources.wales/flooding or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. 

• Check the flood warning pages on NRW’s website for local Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings. These pages are updated every 15mins. 

• Think about how you can prepare your home and business now. Move valuables and vehicles to a higher location and think about packing a flood kit. NRW’s website has a range of information on how people can prepare for flooding. 

NRW will issue Flood Alerts and Warnings if rivers reach trigger levels with our teams monitoring levels 24 hours a day.  

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.

Charlotte Morgan, NRW’s Duty Tactical Manager, said:

“The predicted heavy rain and strong winds are likely to cause disruption across Wales on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and we’re asking people to be alert for the risk of flooding.

“There remains some uncertainty in the forecasts but, at present, the highest rainfall totals are expected across high ground in North and Mid Wales. Large parts of Wales are expected to experience heavy rain overnight and into tomorrow which could lead to surface water issues, and cause rivers to rise quickly, increasing the flood risk.

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

“Following the damage caused during Storm Darragh, safety is our top priority, and the danger from falling trees or branches remains significant. We are therefore asking people to avoid visiting our sites and we may close our car park and other facilities at short notice.”

Flood alerts and flood warnings are updated on the Natural Resources Wales website every 15 minutes. 

Information and updates are also available by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. 

People can check our website to find practical advice on how to prepare for flooding, such as moving treasured possessions upstairs and having key items like important documents and medication easily to hand in a flood kit.