Storm Bert brings flood risk to Wales this weekend
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is urging people to be alert for flooding this weekend as Storm Bert is expected to bring heavy, persistent rain and strong winds across Wales on Saturday (23 Nov) and into Sunday (24 Nov).
Large swathes of Wales are expected to experience heavy rain, which could lead to surface water issues and cause rivers to rise rapidly – particularly as recent snowfall melts quickly.
A yellow Met Office warning for rain is in place for most of Wales from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday. A yellow wind warning is also in place spanning the North West and West Wales coastlines between 5am and 7pm on Saturday.
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 this weekend:
- 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.
Katie Davies, NRW’s Duty Tactical Manager, said:
“The predicted heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Bert, coupled with snowmelt is likely to cause disruption across Wales this weekend. – We’re advising people to keep up to date with flood alerts and warnings issued in their areas.
“Making sure you know what the situation is like where you live is really important. You can check your flood risk and the latest flood alerts and warnings on our website which is refreshed every 15 minutes. Keep an eye on @NatResWales on X (formerly Twitter) for the latest information, and listen to weather reports and local news for details of any disruption in your area.
“Our teams will be doing all they can to reduce the risk for communities, but if there is flooding we want to make sure people are doing all they can to keep themselves safe too. We urge people to keep away from swollen rivers, and not to drive or to walk through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and contain hidden hazards.”
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.
As well as checking flood risk and signing up for warnings, people can also check our 5-day flood forecast for the local authority areas across Wales, and 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.