Storm overflow discharges surge across England and Wales as rain and wind batter the region

Heavy rain and strong winds moving across England and Wales this week have accompanied a marked increase in storm overflow activity, with 171 such overflows reported discharging across the two nations at a time when the typical figure for the hour would be 24. The spike comes as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind covering 17 areas of Wales, in force from midnight on Thursday until midday on Friday, according to WalesOnline [1]. The warning covers Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan, the outlet reported. Forecasters said coastal areas of Wales could see gusts of up to 70mph, with the wind accompanied by heavy rain that would make travel difficult, according to the Met Office forecast cited by WalesOnline [1]. The Met Office warned of possible damage to properties, including tiles blown from roofs, as well as a small risk of injury from flying debris, transport disruption and power cuts, the report said [1]. The wet weather is linked to a deep area of low pressure that forecasters said could become the UK's first named storm of the autumn, to be called Storm Austen if it is officially designated, according to the BBC's assessment reported by WalesOnline [1]. The BBC said weather models suggested the jet stream could guide the low pressure system across the UK by Friday, bringing gales or even severe gales wrapped around it, in addition to heavy rain [1]. According to the BBC's analysis, most computer models at the time of reporting placed the centre of the low pressure system across the south of the UK, putting the highest risk of disruptive winds over southernmost parts of England and Wales and possibly some eastern coastal counties of England later on Friday [1]. Some models showed a more northerly track, which would bring gales and disruption more widely, including to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the BBC said, while adding there was uncertainty over which track the system would take [1]. Storm overflows are used by water companies to release excess rainwater and wastewater from sewer systems during periods of heavy rain, to prevent sewage backing up into homes and streets. The scale of discharges tends to rise sharply during spells of sustained or intense rainfall of the kind forecast for this week. The Met Office advised people to secure loose property such as bins, garden furniture and trampolines ahead of the strong winds, and warned those near the coast of the risk posed by large waves, according to WalesOnline [1]. The forecaster noted that winds were expected to ease through late morning and into the early afternoon on Friday, though uncertainty remained over the exact track and strength of the system, meaning the forecast could change, the report said [1]. Whether the elevated storm overflow discharges across England and Wales are continuing beyond the period of heavy rain reported this week has not been confirmed by the material available.