Storm Babet Northern Ireland: Met Office issues yellow warning for heavy rain across all six counties

The storm is forecast to bring heavy rain across the UK this week, with extensive flooding expected in already-saturated parts of Scotland.

The Met Office has upgraded a weather warning for rain in eastern Scotland to amber, as some areas could see more than a month’s worth of rain in a few days.

For Northern Ireland the forecaster has warned of heavy rain running over two days from 2pm on Wednesday until 10am on Thursday.

Flooding could cause disruption to drivers, trains, homes and businesses, it warned.

The Met Office said: "Rain is expected to develop during Wednesday afternoon, turning heavy and possibly prolonged in places overnight and into Thursday morning, before easing. Rainfall across Northern Ireland will be quite variable, with highest accumulations perhaps focused over Antrim and Down, particularly over The Mournes, but with a second area of heavier rainfall further west; 30-50 mm of rain could fall in these areas, and a few places over higher ground in the east could see 75-100 mm."

Separate yellow warnings are in place for vast swathes of Scotland and northern and eastern England from 6am on Thursday to 6am on Saturday.

Forecasters have warned of dangerous driving conditions in GB and “fast-flowing and deep floodwater” that could pose a danger to life.

As much as 150 to 200mm of rain could fall on central and eastern areas of Scotland.

Scotland typically receives around 168mm of rainfall in October but the country will receive more than this amount in the span of a few days.

Parts of England can expect more than 100mm of rainfall during the week, with some isolated areas facing up to 150mm.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “A disruptive period of weather is on the way.

“There’s some high totals (of rain) which have the potential to disrupt travel plans… (there’s) the possibility of power cuts, as well as the obvious risk of flooding.

“As you look at Wednesday, the first pulse of rain is looking to particularly influence Northern Ireland, Wales and the south-west of England, and into Thursday."