Weather warnings as first autumn storm hits

AFP - Friday, September 5 11:41 am

LONDON (AFP) - Heavy rain and strong winds are pounding parts of Britain as the first major storm of the autumn pushes in from the Atlantic.
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The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for large parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Some places have been warned to expected over two weeks of rainfall in 24 hours, with forecasters saying there is a risk of localised flooding.

Southwest England and Wales are already experiencing heavy rainfall, and the rain is expected to head north throughout the day.

The Met Office says some areas in England and Wales could see up to 50mm of rainfall on grounds already saturated from a wet August.

The weather is unlikely to improve much over the weekend, with more rain and thundery showers expected.