This is the difference between a ‘flood alert’ and a ‘flood warning’

The UK is to be showered with three days of heavy rain, as the Met Office issues yellow weather warnings from Thursday (20 Feb) until Saturday (22 Feb). Parts of the UK are already dealing with flooding following the aftermath of Storm Dennis last weekend, but the Environment Agency (EA) currently has more than 100 flood warnings in place for England for Thursday (20 Feb) as the wet weather continues. More flooding expected The Met Office is warning of further wet conditions this week, having issued a yellow weather alert from Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 February across the UK, with the North West, Midlands and Wales to be the worst affected. Heavy rain is expected to lead to flooding in parts, with travel disruption and delays expected. The EA said there are a total of 106 flood warnings in place for England on Thursday morning (20 Feb), including six severe warnings which indicate lives could be at risk in communities near the Welsh border. The recent persistent and heavy rain has also seen the Met Office issue yellow weather alerts across parts of southern Scotland and Strathclyde, as the bad weather continues. There are currently 11 flood alerts and eight flood warnings in place for Scotland. Further weather warnings are expected on Friday (21 Feb), as heavy rain is expected to fall across western Scotland, Yorkshire and parts of Cumbria. How is a flood alert and a flood warning different? There are three different levels of flood warning that are issued when bad weather strikes, including a flood alert, a flood warning, and a severe flood warning. The three levels each indicate varying severity, with a flood alert being the lowest. If a flood alert is issued, this indicates that an area should prepare, including making defences, preparing a bag that includes medicines and insurance documents, and staying up to date with the latest flood alerts. When a flood warning is issued, this indicates a greater level of severity. In such situations, it is advised you turn off gas, water and electricity, and move your possession upstairs or to safety. Family members, pets and cars should also be moved to safety in these cases. The third flood warning indicates the highest level of severity. In this situation, it is advised that you call 999 if you are in immediate danger and follow advice from emergency services. The government also recommends keeping this simple flood plan safe so you will know what to do should there be severe flood warning in your area. You can also keep up to date with current flood warnings and advice specific to your area via the government website if you are in England, or via the Scottish Environment Protection Area if you are in Scotland.