Residents of South West England are bracing themselves for more severe weather, as heavy rains and strong winds threaten to combine to cause flooding in coastal regions.

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People in at-risk areas have been urged to sign up for flood warnings and follow Environment Agency advice ahead of the storms, which are set to hit the UK on Friday and last throughout the weekend. Areas of Cornwall and Devon are expected to be hardest hit.

There are currently 12 severe flood warnings active for coastal communities as strong winds, high tides and large waves are expected from the early hours of Friday morning; most of the severe warnings are for parts of Devon. As of 4pm there are 68 flood warnings and 234 flood alerts in force across England and Wales. The flood risk extends along the UK coastline, from the South, up through Wales and along the North-West coastline.

Areas at particular risk from flooding include the Isles of Scilly, the north and south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, the tidal reaches of the River Severn, and the coastline of Wales and Cumbria. Recent heavy rains and flooding mean ground is already saturated and river levels high in many parts of the country, which could exacerbate the effect of this weekend's weather.

Following a meeting of emergency response committee COBR, Defra Secretary Owen said, "With a number of flood warnings in place today and more rain and high winds forecast for tomorrow, I have today chaired a… meeting to make sure that across central government departments we are ensuring that local councils, utilities and transport companies are as prepared and ready to respond as possible."

He added that, reacting to forecasts for "exceptionally" bad weather, "The Environment Agency and local authorities are working hard in areas that could be affected and are on the ground ready to take any necessary actions."

Pete Fox, head of strategy at the Environment Agency, also commented, "We are expecting flooding along the west and south coasts of England and Wales, due to a combination of strong winds, large waves and high tides, from the early hours of Friday and into the weekend. The Environment Agency is monitoring the situation closely, working alongside partners including the Met Office and local authorities. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground making sure that flood defences are in good working order, monitoring sea levels and preparing to issue flood alerts and warnings."

The forecasted conditions are the latest in a series of extreme weather events that have affected the UK's coastal regions over the past month, following the worst storm surge in over half a century, which battered Eastern England in early December, and flooding in the South East which meant many were left without power over Christmas.