The region has barely recovered from Storm Ingrid, which brought heavy rain, strong winds and flooding risks only days ago. Earlier in the month, Storm Goretti split South West Wales with amber and yellow warnings, delivering thundersnow, travel disruption and power cuts across parts of the country. In December, Storm Bram brought further rain and wind alerts, leaving the ground sodden heading into the new year.
Now Storm Chandra is set to add more pressure. A deep Atlantic low will sweep into Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Swansea Bay later today, with the Met Office issuing a Yellow wind warning for the region. Gusts strong enough to disrupt travel and affect coastal communities are expected through Monday night and into Tuesday.
(Met Office)
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Paul Gundersen, said:
“Southwest Wales remains vulnerable after recent storms, and Storm Chandra will bring another spell of strong winds and heavy rain. With the ground already saturated, even moderate rainfall could lead to disruption.”
Forecasters warn that even moderate rainfall could cause problems as it falls on saturated land. Surface water flooding is possible on roads across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, particularly during the Tuesday morning commute.
Strong winds are also a concern. Exposed coastal areas of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire could see gusts approaching 70 to 80mph, while inland areas including Swansea and Llanelli are likely to experience blustery conditions throughout Tuesday.
The Environment Agency has warned of significant surface water flooding in the southwest of England, with a risk of river flooding developing on Tuesday. While the most severe impacts are expected across the border, Welsh communities are being advised to remain alert.
Chris Wilding, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
“Storm Chandra is likely to bring significant surface water flooding in the southwest, and river flooding could follow. Just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float a car, so people should avoid driving through floodwater.”
Residents in flood‑prone parts of South West Wales are being encouraged to prepare a flood kit, including insurance documents, warm clothing, bottled water, a torch and essential medicines.
A spokesperson for the Met Office, said:
“It’s important people stay up to date with the latest warnings. Conditions will vary quickly as Chandra moves through, and the combination of wind, rain and saturated ground could make travel difficult.”
Storm Chandra is the next named storm on the western Europe list shared between the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The unsettled weather is expected to continue through the week, though Wednesday may bring a brief window of drier and brighter conditions for parts of Wales before further rain returns from the west.
