The Met Office has upgraded its weather warnings for parts of the UK later this week – when up to 20cm of rain is forecast to fall in some areas.

Storm Babet is predicted to bring downpours and strong winds from Wednesday.

The Met Office has now raised the level of its warning for eastern Scotland from yellow to a more severe rating of amber – meaning conditions are likely to have a higher impact than previously thought.

The warning covers the period from 6am on Thursday to 6pm on Friday.

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Up to 20cm of rain is expected to fall in some areas between Wednesday and Saturday, potentially causing “extensive flooding to homes and businesses”, along with power outages, road closures and train cancellations, the Met Office said.

“There is a chance that communities in flooded areas could be completely cut off, perhaps for several days,” the weather service said.

Wind gusts with speeds of up to 80mph are also forecast.

The Met Office has also updated and expanded a yellow warning, which now covers most of Scotland, as well as much of northern, central and eastern England, for “very wet weather” including flooding and a “slight chance” of power cuts from Thursday to Saturday.

As much as 10cm of rain could fall in the affected areas, especially on higher ground, forecasters said.

Other parts of the UK are also likely to be hit by downpours on Friday, with London, much of Wales and the south coast among the regions likely to be affected.

A yellow weather warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place for Wednesday and Thursday.

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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… possibility of power cuts as well as the obvious risk of flooding.”

David Morgan, flood duty manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “Flood alerts and warnings will be issued as required, and we continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7.”

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has also urged members of the public to exercise “extreme caution,” particularly along exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers.

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