Weather forecast live: Flooding chaos as roads and schools shut with Met Office warning of more heavy rain
Cars flooded in heavy downpours
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Floods have caused travel chaos across the country with roads and schools closed after extreme rainfall overnight on Sunday with more expected in the coming days.
The autumn equinox coincided with heavy downpours as the Met Office warned “heavy rain is expected to produce some flooding” with an amber and yellow weather warning across most of England and Wales until the end of Monday, except the most western and northern regions.
Several schools up and down the country are expected to remain closed on Tuesday.
The A421 in Bedfordshire is closed in both directions between A6 and M1 J13 due to flooding. Also, the A505 in Hitchin, Elton Way in Watford and the A404 between Chorleywood and Rickmansworth were all shut on Monday morning for the safety of road users, Hertfordshire County Council said.
Dan Harris, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office said on Wednesday and Thursday “unsettled weather is set to return as further frontal systems move in from the Atlantic, bringing showers or longer spells of rain to many parts of the UK”.
Key Points
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Advice from Environment Agency
Environment Agency flood duty manager Sarah Cook said “persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms” could lead to some property flooding and travel disruption.
She said: “Persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to significant surface water flooding on Monday across parts of England.
“The impacts could include localised flooding in urban areas and fast-responding catchments, including some property flooding as well as travel disruption. The risk from river flooding remains low.
“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and ready to support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.
“We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.
“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates.”
Rachel Hagan24 September 2024 05:00
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Cannes hit by flash flooding with more severe storms possible
A little look across the Channel to France as Cannes has also been hit with flash floods, pushing cars through the streets and leaving the French Riviera city known for its film festival on high alert.
There were no injuries from the deluge in the French southeast region, where in 2015 at least 19 people died in flash floods and tens of thousands had power blackouts.
The situation was expected to return to normal by the end of the morning as the storm continued to move east, its town hall spokesperson said.
The city’s mayor David Lisnard told BFM TV he would be seeking an explanation from other authorities because the city only received a government alert an hour after the storm began.
Rachel Hagan24 September 2024 03:00
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Why has it been so wet?
The BBC’s weatherman Matt Taylor has explained why it has been so wet. He cites a buckle in a southerly running jet stream combined with a low-pressure system drifting north out of Spain and France to form an area of very unstable air.
Coupled with a feed of warm and humid air from central Europe meant “the recipe was right for storm clouds loaded with plenty of moisture.”
He continued: “With temperatures higher for a while than we would normally expect at this stage of the year, the storms have contained extra energy and have been intense. As the low pressure system then stuck over the southern half of the UK, the story continued over a number of days.”
Rachel Hagan24 September 2024 02:00
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Latest pictures
People looking at flood water in Grendon, Northamptonshire (PA Wire)A person shelters from the rain in a flooded underpass by Lawrence Hill Roundabout, Bristol. (Ben Birchall/PA)
Rachel Hagan24 September 2024 01:00
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More than 100 flood alerts and warnings in place
There are currently 22 flood warnings in place this evening, covering areas where flooding is actively expected to happen.
There are another 87 flood alerts in place, which means that flooding is possible.
Both lists have been steadily rising throughout the day.
The open boot of a car visible above the water in a flooded area (Joe Giddens/PA)
Rachel Hagan23 September 2024 23:59
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Met Office issues rush hour warning
The Met Office has urged commuters to take care on their journey home this evening.
Rachel Hagan23 September 2024 23:00
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If you need to drive in this weather, here are the steps you should take
While you should avoid driving if you live in a flooded area, if you need to drive here is the advice from the National Highways agency:
Check the availability of service areas along your routeMake sure you know how to operate your headlights and fog lightsCheck your vehiclePack a seasonal kitCheck the weather forecast. If heavy downpours are expected, consider delaying your journey until it clearsDuring periods of extreme weather, adjust when you travel to avoid the worst days and times of day if possibleCheck traffic conditions on the National Highways website and on Twitter
When you’re on the road, it advises:
If it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow downUse dipped headlights, especially if visibility is seriously reducedThe roads will be more slippery than usual, so give yourself more time to react – increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front to at least four secondsLook out for standing water – adjust your driving before and after encountering anyKeep your eyes on the road at all times – spray from other vehicles can suddenly reduce your visibilityVisibility affects others too, so anticipate their actions and be preparedDuring thunderstorms, sudden gusty winds can unsettle vehicles. Keep your speed down and give other road users more room
The RAC called on drivers to take “extreme care” and avoid driving through water deeper than 10cm.
Rachel Hagan23 September 2024 22:00
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Farm animals rescued from the rain by community
Dozens of people rushed to a farm to save animals after it was hit by flooding with some wading into chest-height water to drag sheep to safety.
Joanna Johnson started to break down in tears as she told the PA news agency how 50 neighbours turned up at Moreteyne’s Retreat in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, at 8pm on Sunday in response to an emergency WhatsApp message she had sent.
The 54-year-old said her miniature ponies had to swim out of the flood water and the sheep were dragged through to safety.
Members of the community and emergency services were helping at the farm until about 4am, building temporary pens for some of the animals by the roadside and finding short-term places for the others, including a school playground for two ponies.
Ms Johnson said parts of the farm had flooded in January this year but this time the whole farm was underwater.
Flooding at Moreteyne’s Retreat in Bedfordshire (PA Wire)
She said: “We’ve spent the last five years building the place up, we opened it up for free for the villagers after Covid, we were hoping to do that more often as there’s so many families that can’t afford to go to a farm.
“We flooded in January this year and the fire brigade got all the animals out, they were here for 12 hours. Yesterday it was like a river coming off the A421 and then the pond burst and within 15 minutes the entire farm was under water.
“I put a message out online and the villagers flocked here so fast. The miniature ponies had to swim out. The only way we could save the sheep was to pull them out the water. I felt so helpless. My eldest ewe collapsed last night and I didn’t think she was going to make it but she’s up and about now.”
One of the helpers was a 15-year-old boy who was at the farm with his mother until 2am, Ms Johnson said.
Jordan Reynolds23 September 2024 20:00
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Five day weather forecast shows rain throughout the week
The Met Office’s five-day weather forecast for the country shows rain throughout the week
This Evening and Tonight:
Heavy rain will ease from the west across England and parts of Wales. Meanwhile, showery rain will extend south across northern and central parts of Scotland. Otherwise, it will be a rather cloudy night with the odd light shower.
Tuesday:
Showery rain will affect Scotland tomorrow, extending to parts of northern England later. Elsewhere it will be a brighter, though fresher day than on Monday, with a few showers developing.
Wednesday to Friday:
Wet and perhaps windy weather affecting most areas on Wednesday and Thursday. Northern Scotland should remain drier, and colder. A showery, blustery and chilly northerly airstream for all on Friday.
The weekend:
The upcoming weekend is expected to see a more settled picture overall as high pressure builds in from the southwest. However, cloud and patchy rain will probably quite quickly spread into the northwest, and is increasingly likely elsewhere by Sunday.
Next week:
Into the following week, unsettled conditions look most likely to return for many parts of the UK as Atlantic frontal systems arrive from the west. These would be expected to bring spells of rain, heavy in places, with a risk of strong winds. A more settled spell is possible, but less likely.
Temperatures are likely to be near to or below normal throughout, and it is likely to be notably cold at the start of this period, before temperatures recover.
Rachel Hagan23 September 2024 19:00
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Bedfordshire resident who saw car stuck in floodwater says flooding is area’s worst ever
A resident of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire saw a car stuck in floodwater on the A421 and said he had never seen flooding like it in the area.
Lee Elliott, 36, told the PA news agency: “I’ve never seen anything like it. We’ve lived here for about 10 years and that is the worst I’ve ever seen it.
“It has flooded there before, but nothing like that. It’s normally gone within a few hours.
“I was out last night helping push cars out of the floods because we came home quite late last night and saw the cars stuck in there, so we went down there to help them.”
Tara Cobham23 September 2024 18:41
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-weather-warnings-flash-floods-forecast-met-office-b2617820.html
