UK households warned to charge mobile phones before the weekend for one reason

Households across the UK are being urged to charge up their mobile phones before Saturday as the Met Office has warned of a risk of power cuts due to heavy rain and strong winds

Families throughout Britain are being told to charge their mobile phones ahead of Saturday as torrential downpours and powerful winds are set to pummel the nation.

The Met Office has cautioned that turbulent weather conditions will dominate for many in the coming days, with as much as 80mm of rainfall anticipated to hit certain regions.

A yellow national severe weather warning has been put in place for vast areas of northern England, Scotland and Wales during the weekend, with the alert active from 9am on Saturday, September 20, until 6am on Sunday, September 21.

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The national weather service said a low pressure system will sweep in from the southwest on Saturday delivering heavy downpours and a threat of thunderstorms, with fierce gusts surpassing 55mph probable.

Families are being encouraged to charge mobile phones ahead of the unsettled conditions striking on Saturday as there is a chance of power outages and disruption of other services to some properties and enterprises, reports the Express.

The Met Office has also cautioned of a threat of flooding owing to the heavy rainfall, so families are advised to "be prepared" and take measures to safeguard their property.

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In its guidance for staying safe during flooding, the Met Office stated: "It's never too late to take action and prepare for flooding. Follow these six simple steps to protect your home or business:

• Check the flood advice in your area to know when and where flooding will happen
• Charge mobile phone devices
• Park your car outside the flood zone
• Prepare a flood kit to help you cope in the event of flooding to your home and business
• Store valuables up high, including electrical devices, important documents and furniture
• Turn off gas, water and electricity supplies.”

The Met Office added: "Check if your property could be at risk of flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance."

It continued: "It's easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items." The yellow weather warning for rain currently covers seven regions of the UK, but more warnings could be issued as the weather system develops:

East Midlands

• Derbyshire

North East England

• Darlington
• Durham
• Gateshead
• Hartlepool
• Middlesbrough
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• North Tyneside
• Northumberland
• Redcar and Cleveland
• South Tyneside
• Stockton-on-Tees
• Sunderland

North West England

• Blackburn with Darwen
• Blackpool
• Cheshire East
• Cheshire West and Chester
• Cumbria
• Greater Manchester
• Halton
• Lancashire
• Merseyside
• Warrington

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

• Dumfries and Galloway
• East Lothian
• Scottish Borders

Wales

• Bridgend
• Carmarthenshire
• Ceredigion
• Conwy
• Denbighshire
• Flintshire
• Gwynedd
• Isle of Anglesey
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Neath Port Talbot
• Pembrokeshire
• Powys
• Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Swansea
• Wrexham

West Midlands

• Herefordshire
• Shropshire
• Staffordshire
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Telford and Wrekin

Yorkshire & Humber

• East Riding of Yorkshire
• North Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire
• West Yorkshire
• York