A WEATHER warning issued to Cheshire residents for Storm Babet has been upgraded from yellow to amber.

The Met Office published a ‘danger to life’ yellow warning for north west England for heavy and persistent rain downpours yesterday, Wednesday.

This will come into effect from 6pm this evening, Thursday, and it will remain in force through to 6am on Saturday morning.

But this will become an amber warning from midday tomorrow, Friday, until 6am on Saturday.

Forecasters say a further spell of persistent and at times heavy rain could lead to some disruption, with delays or cancellations to train and bus services possible and spray and flooding leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is also possible, the Met Office says, causing a ‘danger to life’, while homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage.

In addition, power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses are possible.

A Met Office spokesman yesterday said: “Having pushed north across the warning area early on Thursday, a band of heavy and persistent rain is expected to slowly edge back southwards across northern England later on Thursday, lasting into Saturday in some areas.

“Around 20 to 40mm is expected to fall quite widely, though some parts of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales could pick up 50 to 70mm.

“The north of the warning area, especially the higher parts of the north Pennines and Cheviots may locally see in excess of 100mm of rain through the period.

“Strong easterly winds may exacerbate the impacts brought about by the heavy rain.”

In an update today, they added: “Following on from wet weather on Thursday, a further spell of persistent and at times heavy rain will affect parts of southeast Scotland and northern England during Friday, lasting into early Saturday.

“Widely, 40 to 60mm of rain is likely to fall, but the east-facing high ground from southeast Scotland to the Cheviots, south to the Peak District may see between 80 and 120mm of rain locally.

“Strong easterly winds may exacerbate the impacts of the heavy rain.”