People living in “low-lying dwellings” should make sure their valuables are prepared for evacuation, the Met Office has warned due to the current high risk of flooding. Large areas of Britain are at risk of flash flooding today as storms batter the country’s parched landscape with heavy rain. The Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place for England and Wales, with the potential for power cuts, transport disruptions and risk to life from fast flowing or deep flooding. Dan Suri, Met Office forecaster, said: “With no meaningful rainfall in some southern locations since June, the soils in these areas have been baked by the sun turning them into hard, almost impermeable surfaces. “Any rainfall in these areas will not be able to be absorbed and will instead wash away soils and other hard surfaces, creating flash flooding in some areas.” In parts of Scotland, commuters were held up by heavy rain this morning, with train speeds reduced on several parts of the rail network and surface water affecting many roads.
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Thames Water announces pipe ban from next week
Thames Water has announced a pipe ban from next week as 15 million customers across London and other areas face restrictions. The ban will come into force from Wednesday August 24 and is one of many in place across England as water companies try to conserve resources in very dry weather. In a statement on its website, Thames Water said: “Following the driest July on record and below average rainfall in 10 of the last 12 months, water levels in our rivers and reservoirs are well below the usual. “With low rainfall forecast for the coming months, we now need to take the next step in our drought plan,” they added. Holly Bancroft has the full story.
Thames Water’s pipe ban will start next week as 15 million customers face restrictions
Thames Water has announced it will impose a pipe ban next week as 15 million customers face restrictions. Furvah Shah17 August 2022 08:15 1660716621
What is asthma attack?
The Met Office’s three-day weather warning highlights the risk of possible flooding, power cuts and travel disruption across much of the country as heavy rain hits, writes Zoe Tidman. But experts also warn there could be a rare health risk during stormy weather in the form of “storm asthma”. Read what they are and how these events cause breathing problems:
‘Rare’ asthma storm warning as UK battered by dramatic weather
The Met Office has issued a three-day storm warning for most of the UK, raising concerns about the impact on hay fever and asthma sufferers Stuti Mishra 17 August 2022 07:10 1660715673
Scotland receives a week’s rainfall in 24 hours
Parts of Scotland have seen heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours as the country is hit by torrential rain and is on yellow alert. The amount of rainfall received in many pockets exceeds that generally seen in a whole week in early August. The BBC reported that Strathallan near Perth had seen 55.2 millimeters (2 inches) of rain in less than 24 hours. That’s 71 per cent of the 77mm the region normally sees in the whole of August. Houghton Hall in Norfolk saw 17mm (0.7in) of rain in an hour on Tuesday afternoon, the report said. The heavy rain also caused travel chaos with local media reporting train delays and traffic disruptions. ScotRail had warned passengers to expect delays on some routes as speed restrictions were in place due to heavy rain. Trains were limited to 40mph, or 20mph if the usual speed limit is lower. Network Rail also said it had to deal with flooding at Perth station. Traffic Scotland warned that surface water was affecting many routes and urged drivers to take care. Network Rail Scotland brochure photo of flooding at Perth station after heavy rain (PA) Stuti Mishra 17 August 2022 06:54 1660713973
Video: Flood pools in south Wales as motorists struggle to navigate roads
Motorists struggled to navigate as torrential rain caused flooding on Welsh roads. Footage shows cars driving through a flooded road in Port Talbot. Heavy flooding to cars in Wales The Met Office has issued a yellow storm warning for Wales and England until midnight and warned that conditions could be life-threatening. Stuti Mishra 17 August 2022 06:26 1660711931
The photos show logging and flooding after a downpour
Images and videos have emerged from across the UK of flash flooding in areas hit by storms since Monday. People are sharing images of logging on roads and inside their homes as the rain is expected to continue. The rain has mainly affected southern England and Wales as well as the Midlands and East Anglia. The Environment Agency currently has 19 flood warnings in place for parts of the Midlands and south-east England as wet weather continues to batter Britain. Stuti Mishra 17 August 2022 05:52 1660709392
Five Sheffield roads closed due to flooding
Major roads have been flooded in Sheffield after heavy rain hit the area. Local media reports that Abbeydale Road is completely flooded after the rain. South Yorkshire Police asked people to avoid all five of these routes. Flooding has also been reported outside Woodseats Medical Center in Chesterfield Road, Woodseats. A car is also stranded and partially submerged in water in High Street, Beighton. Stuti Mishra 17 August 2022 05:09 1660707994
Today’s forecast for England and Wales
Further torrential rain and thunderstorms are expected today, according to the Met Office, but some areas will be drier and sunnier. “While some parts will miss them, thunderstorms and areas of heavy rain will develop quite widely on Wednesday across central, southern and eastern parts of England and south-east Wales,” it said. “20-30mm of rain within an hour is possible, but where areas of rain with thunderstorms develop slowly, some parts could see 60mm in less than three hours.” “Some spots could see more rainfall than that, while hail and lightning could be additional risks.” The Environment Agency had issued 29 flood warnings by last night.
Torrential rain and thunderstorms are forecast across England and Wales
The Environment Agency had issued 29 flood warnings by Tuesday night. Stuti Mishra August 17, 2022 4:46 am 1660696988
Road washed out after flooding in Sheffield
Flooding has caused road closures in Sheffield. Emergency repairs are underway after damage to a road near the city centre. Olivia Blake, Labor MP for Sheffield Hallam, said local authorities were aware of the “dramatic outburst” and were dealing with it. “Be aware of the risk of flash flooding and contact the appropriate authorities with any issues you encounter,” he tweeted. Chris Baynes 17 August 2022 01:43 1660684497
‘Remarkable’ water flow seen over sea as storms lash Cornwall coast
A body of water was caught on camera as it appeared over the sea as the Cornish coast was hit by storms today. Footage captured by Mark McCartney shows the huge wave of water swirling overhead near Fowey. “It was all an amazing sight, remarkable,” he said.
Waterspout appears over the sea as storms hit the Cornish coast
A surge of water was caught on camera as it appeared over the sea as the Cornish coast was hit by storms on Tuesday, August 16. After weeks of dry and hot weather, the heat wave in the UK was broken by a torrential rain and thunderstorms. Footage captured by Mark McCartney shows the scene as the creek winds its way over Fowey. “It was an amazing sight, remarkable,” McCartney said. A yellow storm warning was in place for England and Wales that evening, valid until midnight. Click here to subscribe to our newsletters. Chris Baynes 16 August 2022 22:14 1660674158
Roads flooded as heavy rain sweeps across the UK
Roads in parts of the UK have been flooded as heavy rain and storms sweep the country for the second day in a row. Footage and photos shared on social media showed torrential rain and flooding sweeping towns across southern England and Wales, including Newquay in Cornwall, Bishop’s Tawton in Devon, Haywards Heath in West Sussex, Port Talbot in the South West Wales and Bridport in Dorset. A Twitter user shared a video of flooding in Newquay: Another Twitter user in Bishop’s Tawton, north Devon, shared footage of sandbags in place to prevent houses from being flooded: Scotland also saw rail and road disruptions on Tuesday after heavy rain. Experts said the heavy rainfall is running off very dry land, creating surface water floods and will not soak into the ground to relieve drought-stricken areas. Chris Baynes 16 August 2022 19:22
