Wales braced for more heavy rain

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has seven flood warnings and 27 flood alerts in place on Saturday morning, with coastal and riverside communities urged to remain vigilant amid further heavy rain.

The most serious warnings remain in place for tidal areas and already-saturated river catchments.

Alerts cover Borth, Aberaeron, Newgale, Pendine, and Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park in Kidwelly, all at risk from high tides and strong winds.

A warning is also active for the River Ritec at Tenby, while the River Towy at Carmarthen Quay remains under close observation following rising levels late on Friday.

NRW said teams are monitoring gauges and inspecting flood defences, as saturated ground across much of Wales increases the likelihood of rapid surface flooding.

The Met Office has warned that south Wales is likely to see the heaviest downpours this weekend, adding pressure to already-swollen rivers.

Travel disruption is possible, especially in coastal Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, where communities are still recovering from repeated bouts of severe weather this autumn.

Across the wider UK, 22 flood warnings are in place in England and eight in Scotland, as meteorologists caution that conditions will remain unsettled into next week.

A further band of rain is expected to push north-east across the country on Sunday, bringing persistent rainfall to northern areas, while Wales and south-west England once again face gusty winds and potential surface flooding.

Deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates said a “deepening area of low pressure” approaching late Monday could bring more heavy rain and strong winds between Monday night and early Wednesday.

“This system has the potential to cause disruption,” he said. “Severe weather warnings are likely to be issued over the weekend as details become clearer. We urge people to keep up to date with the latest Met Office forecast.”

The outlook for the rest of December remains unsettled, with further low-pressure systems likely. Meteorologists say it is too early to predict conditions for Christmas.