Flood warnings forecast with more heavy rain to come
The Met Office has warned that further heavy rain could pose a danger to life and cause travel disruption, following a fatal mudslide in North Yorkshire. Flood warnings have been issued across England, with one in Scotland.
National Rail has reported disruption to its northern services, with the major line between England and Scotland closed due to flooding. Showers are expected to continue affecting parts of the UK into Thursday, with yellow and amber rain warnings still in place. Affected operators include TransPennine Express, ScotRail, Avanti West Coast, and Caledonian Sleeper.
The West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Lockerbie is blocked, and Avanti West Coast has advised against travel north of Preston. TransPennine Express services between Manchester and Scotland are also disrupted.
An amber warning for rain in parts of North Wales and northwest England has been cancelled, but yellow warnings remain for other regions. These include Northern Ireland, parts of western Scotland and Shetland until 10:00 BST Thursday, the north of England, the Midlands, and north and central Wales until 12:00 BST Thursday, and southern and eastern Scotland until 18:00 BST Thursday.
Flooding and power cuts are possible, with Cumbria experiencing the heaviest rainfall, including 110mm at Honister and 65.6mm in Carlisle over 24 hours. A severe flood warning remains in place in Cumbria, indicating a danger to life. Properties in the Stockdalewath area have been affected, with at least one evacuation.
Additional flood warnings are in force for rivers in Scotland and England. On Wednesday, heavy rain caused a mudslide in Carlton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire, resulting in one fatality. The county received almost a month’s worth of rainfall, with 41.6mm recorded in Loftus within 24 hours. North Yorkshire Police have asked the public to avoid the affected area.