This updated forecast shows some improvement from the previous guidance for the North West:
Good Afternoon All,

With luck, this event will not turn out as bad as I feared earlier it might (around the time this morning when the red Flood Guidance Statement came out).

Still further pulses of rain to come
across the region but much of the rain is in the ‘light’ or ‘moderate’ category with some notable drier slots having developed across Lancashire.

Still hoping for a more general clearance (in rain, if not cloud) in the next three to four hours, except across Cumbria where the rain will, if anything, get more organised for a time this evening and overnight before eventually clearing away later tonight.

As for tomorrow and Sunday, one or two sharp showers possible tomorrow afternoon and perhaps some further patchy rain tomorrow night. With the ground pretty sodden this has prompted the Met Office to issue a Yellow warning (attached above) covering all areas bar Cumbria, to be taken as something of a precautionary measure.

Sunday currently looks half-reasonable with a few showers perhaps by the afternoon but also some dry, bright weather, especially over Cumbria. Looking rather cool and breezy early next week but although some rain, nothing disruptive on the horizon after today.

Any significant changes to the overall situation will be communicated asap,

Regards,

Alan Goodman; Met Office Advisor (Civil Contingencies)