As Wales braces itself once again for a deluge, communities across the region are anxiously watching the skies and rivers, just weeks after the devastation wrought by Storm Claudia. The Met Office has issued fresh yellow weather warnings for heavy rain across much of mid and south Wales, signaling a potential repeat of the flooding and disruption that so recently upended lives and livelihoods.
According to the Met Office, the latest warnings cover a broad swath of the country—including Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan. The first warning is set to take effect from 6:00 AM to 11:59 PM on Saturday, November 29, 2025, with a second warning following from midnight to 3:00 PM on Monday, December 1. Forecasters expect rainfall totals ranging from 20 to 50 millimeters on Saturday, and a heavier 20 to 80 millimeters on Monday, with strong winds compounding the risk of travel disruption and power outages.
The warnings come as a sobering reminder of the havoc caused by Storm Claudia just two weeks prior. That storm brought significant rainfall and tragic flooding to towns and villages such as Monmouth, Skenfrith, and Grosmont. Businesses and homes were inundated, with the river Monnow bursting its banks and forcing dozens of residents to evacuate. The scars of that disaster are still fresh—both in the physical damage left behind and the emotional toll on those affected.
In Monmouth, the aftermath of Storm Claudia is still very much in evidence. Just a week after opening their doors, the owners of Bar 125 on Monnow Street saw their new business swamped by floodwater. Now, two weeks later, they have managed to reopen with a limited service, a testament to the resilience and determination of the local community. But for many, the road to recovery is far from over.
On November 28, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch visited Monmouth to assess the damage firsthand and meet with those still picking up the pieces. Accompanied by Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar and Monmouthshire Senedd Member Peter Fox, Badenoch spoke with local business leaders and residents whose lives had been upended by the flooding. Among them was Gillian Haycock, who described how her elderly father and ten other residents had to be evacuated from a block of private retirement flats on Monnow Street after four feet of water surged in. "These people were evacuated during World War Two and have had to be evacuated in 2025," Haycock told Badenoch, as reported by LDRS.
Badenoch, drawing on her own experience with flash flooding near her home in Essex two years ago, expressed empathy and concern for those affected. "We had an SUV, it was written off, we were driving yards from our house the water lifted the car, all the electrics went off and the water was freezing. It was very, very frightening and that was when I understood how people die," she recalled. The Conservative leader also praised the community’s spirit, noting, "I wanted to see what people had been dealing with and the extent of the damage and understanding what had been done to help them and see if there’s anything we can do to help them."
The visit also highlighted ongoing political tensions over the adequacy and timeliness of support for flood victims. While responsibility for flood response in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Government, which has announced financial support—including relief from council tax and business rates, to be delivered by Monmouthshire County Council—local politicians have voiced frustration at what they see as a lack of concrete assistance from the UK Government. Badenoch stated, "There was a specific response from the first minister where she said she’d discussed the situation with the prime minister and the UK government was there to provide support. We haven’t seen any of that support. People are still struggling and haven’t had enough help."
Peter Fox, the Monmouthshire Conservative MS, suggested that the county could benefit from additional support through the UK Government’s Pride in Place fund, beyond the £1.5 million announced in September. "That’s a big fund that’s allocated to local authorities. Bigger lumps of it are going to some more than others, Monmouthshire needs it more than ever now," Fox argued, describing the current allocation as "very small compared to other authorities."
For their part, UK Government officials have maintained that while the primary responsibility for flood response in Wales lies with the devolved administration, they remain in close contact with Welsh authorities and are ready to offer further support if required. "While the response to flooding in Wales is devolved, the UK Government has been in contact with the Welsh Government since the recent devastating floods in Monmouth and has offered support should additional help be required," a spokesperson said.
Despite these assurances, many in the affected communities remain anxious about the immediate future. The latest weather warnings are a stark reminder that the region is still vulnerable to further flooding, with the ground already saturated from previous storms. The Met Office has cautioned that there is a "slight chance" of power cuts and significant disruption to public transport, with bus and train timetables likely to be affected and journey times extended. For those living in the path of the storm, the prospect of more flooding is both exhausting and frightening.
Interestingly, while the Met Office has not yet issued flood alerts for the areas under the current yellow warning, the risk remains real—especially for communities still recovering from the last major storm. The warning itself is a signal that, as one local put it, "the calm after the storm is over." With up to 80 millimeters of rain possible in some places, even a brief period of heavy rainfall could be enough to tip rivers back over their banks and send water cascading through streets and homes once again.
As Wales prepares for another bout of severe weather, the resilience of its people is once again being put to the test. The coming days will be critical for communities still on the mend, local authorities managing the response, and politicians at all levels who are being called upon to ensure that promises of support translate into real help on the ground. For now, all eyes are on the skies—and on the rivers that have already caused so much heartache this season.
