WORCESTERSHIRE is heading for more unsettled weather as heavy rain and strong winds are set to continue into next week.

Despite the dire forecast for Sunday night into yesterday morning, the county saw just a centimetre of rain fall in the early hours, followed by clearer skies in the afternoon.

But weatherman Frank Hill, of Malvern, warned the familiar pattern of wind and rain would continue for much of this week and into next.

“We’re now into a showery spell,” he said.

“I’m afraid we’re in for some more rain.

“There is a series of lows, which are moving across the Atlantic and develop as they get nearer to us. 

“And there are more lows to come.”

Rain is expected between 6am and 9am today along with gusts of more than 40mph before conditions brighten up later in the afternoon.

The weather on New Year’s Day will follow a similar pattern, with rain and gusts of up to 50mph expected in the morning, followed by drier weather in the afternoon.

There will be a brief respite on Thursday, which is forecast to be a mainly dry day with gusts between 25 and 30 mph, before rain sets in again into the weekend. And the unsettled weather is likely to last until at least Monday next week.

“We’ve got a very rough, wet and windy week to come,” said Mr Hill.

“What will happen almost certainly after this spell of wind and rain is that we will see a change to something dryer but much colder.

"When that will occur we don’t know at the moment. More rain is expected on Monday and more strong winds.

"As long as this continues there’s a risk of more flooding, which will take longer to subside because the water levels in the Channel are being pushed above normal.”

The Environment Agency said that although river levels on the Severn were falling yesterday, flood alerts remained in place throughout Worcestershire with the forecast rain expected to bring levels up once again.


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