The Met Office has issued a yellow severe weather warning for heavy rain today, Thursday, across Southern England including Dorset.
It’s in force from midday to three o’clock tomorrow morning.
Forecasters say there is a chance of between 20 and 30 millimetres of rain falling – and perhaps as much as 50 millimetres.
They warn that there could be flooding, made worse by the current wet ground conditions, and travel disruption.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “The track of the heaviest rain remains uncertain but there is chance of 20 to 30 mm of rain falling in a 6 to 9 hour period for a portion of the warning area, with a few places seeing as much as 40-50 mm.
“Much of this rain is falling on already wet ground and therefore, impacts are more likely.”