Britain is braced for a soaking on Friday as Met Office maps show a huge band of rain sweeping across the country. The latest rainfall charts turn large swathes of the UK blue as the wet weather moves east and southeast during the early hours of September 4.
At 2am, maps show a vast band of rain stretching from Wales and northwest England across northern and central parts of the country, with particularly intense pockets around north Wales and the northwest. By 4am, the rain is forecast to have moved further southeast, while the charts show that some areas could experience rainfall rates of between 8mm and 16mm per hour. The band continues its journey by 8am, when rain is shown extending across parts of Wales, the Midlands and eastern England before moving out into the North Sea. The Met Office has warned that a band of rain across central parts of the UK is expected to become heavier overnight, while meteorologist Aidan McGivern said "some particularly heavy rain is possible across north Wales and northwest England".
The Met Office's weather forecast for Friday states: "A weakening band of rain, with brisk winds will clear southeastwards from southern England and Wales, leaving a brighter, fresher day here."
It adds: "Very blustery further north, with sunshine and showers."
The Met Office also warned: "Friday will be a windy day in northern areas with wind gusts of 35-45 mph widely."
It added: "Pennine regions will see strong westerly winds at times with isolated gusts reaching 55 mph," with crosswinds potentially causing difficult driving conditions on routes including the A1.
Temperatures will be around average for early September, feeling cooler in the windy north but rather warm in brighter spells farther south.
Full list of 20 areas facing downpours on Friday:
-Wrexham
-Llandudno
-Conwy
-Chester
-Liverpool
-Manchester
-Warrington
-Northwich
-Crewe
-Stoke-on-Trent
-Shrewsbury
-Birmingham
-Derby
-Nottingham
-Leicester
-Northampton
-Lincoln
-Peterborough
-Cambridge
-Norwich