Storm Barbara will bring heavy rain to Wiltshire and much of the rest of England on Wednesday (October 21), the Met Office has warned.

An official weather warning has been issued to prepare the public for the risks of rain.

Salisbury and the surrounding areas are likely to see heavy downpours, according to the Met Office weather warning map.

Storm Barbara, named by Spanish meteorologists, is due to strike Spain and Portugal from Tuesday, with some areas on the Iberian peninsula possibly seeing the equivalent of four to six weeks’ worth of rain in just a few days.

Now a weather warning has come into effect, alerting the British public to the dangers of the storm between 3am and 2pm on Wednesday.

The Met Office website urges people to expect disruption to train and bus travel.

Standing water on the roads, as well as some flooding of homes and businesses, is also possible in places, the Met Office adds.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said winds could be particularly strong across “exposed coastal locations” and through the Dover Strait.

“Any ferry crossings, for instance, could be quite rough,” he said.

The Met Office website warns the following areas in South West England could be affected:

South West England

Bath and North East Somerset

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole

Bristol

Devon

Dorset

Gloucestershire

North Somerset

Somerset

South Gloucestershire

Swindon

Torbay

Wiltshire