UK under Extreme Weather Warning*

By Gary Cleland
Last Updated: 3:10am BST 13/08/2007

Forecasters have warned that heavy rain could cause flash flooding this
week, bringing more misery to one of the wettest summers on record.

MeteoGroup said strong and gusty winds with some heavy downpours were
expected tomorrow.

Matt Dobson, a MeteoGroup spokesman, said: "In the areas where the rain
becomes prolonged there is still a chance of flash flooding in some
places." But it will not be as bad as last month, he added.

"Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Yorkshire are going
to have some heavy rain over Tuesday and Wednesday but it is unlikely
these areas will get the amounts of rain they did during the recent
flooding," Mr Dobson said.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning, saying that by Tuesday
and Wednesday Britain will be buffeted by gale force winds and heavy
downpours.

Tony Burgess, a Met Office forecaster, said: "I think most people are
probably going to experience about an inch of rain. There will be
places, particularly in the west, where there is going to be about two
inches of rain.

"It is very unusual weather for this time of year, but there will be
nothing like the flooding that we experienced at the end of last month."

Yesterday, the organisers of the yachting competition, the Rolex Fastnet
Race, announced that they were postponing the start for the first time
in its 83-year history because of the approaching weather conditions.

The beginning of the 608-mile event has been put back 25 hours to 11am
today.

Janet Grosvenor, of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, said: "It remains the
RORC policy to start the race when it is safe to do so."