The Met Office has issued weather warnings for “heavy and prolonged” rain across the region on Friday.
A yellow warning is in place from 06:00 GMT for 24 hours, covering much of the country including the whole of the East of England and the East Midlands.
Meanwhile, an amber warning is in place from 12:00 GMT for 24 hours for parts of the region, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
People are being warned to expect some flooding and disruption, including power cuts, poor driving conditions and possible delays on public transport.
About 40 to 60mm (1.5 to 2.3in) of rain is expected widely across the amber warning areas, with some places seeing about 80 mm (3.1in), along with strong easterly winds.
