BRACE yourselves for a very wet week. The Met Office has issued two weather warnings for Dorset with heavy rain and gale force winds predicted along with a risk of localised flooding. 

The first yellow ‘be aware’ warning is valid from 5pm tonight until 9am on Wednesday morning.

The warning says: “Periods of rain and strong winds will affect southwestern parts of Britain from later on Monday, with the rain becoming particularly heavy at times on Tuesday before clearing during Wednesday morning. “The public should be aware of the risk of localised flooding, perhaps exacerbated by fallen leaves blocking drainage courses.

The Chief Forecaster said: "An active frontal system associated with an Atlantic depression will push in from the west later on Monday.

"This front will become slow-moving, allowing pulses of heavy and sometimes thundery rain to spread northwards across south west England and South Wales before finally clearing northeastwards on Wednesday.

"Precise timings of these periods of heavy rain remain uncertain, and there are also likely to be some drier intervals within this warning period.

"The strong southerly winds, reaching gale force in places, will enhance rainfall over south-facing slopes and hills, where totals of more than 60mm in 36 hours are likely. 20-40 mm will fall more widely. The rainfall is likely to cause some minor flooding from either surface water or from rivers."

A second warning has been issued from 9pm on Thursday until 6pm on Friday.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “A developing frontal system is expected to push north, then east across many parts of the UK during Thursday and into Friday. Rain is expected to become persistent and heavy at times, particularly over south-facing hills.

"Many places may well see 20-30 mm during the day, with as much as 50-70 mm over higher ground. With this bout of heavy rain coming after what is expected to be a wet week, localised flooding is a possibility either from surface water or from some rivers.”