Floodwaters have surged across vast areas of southern England following days of near-record rainfall, drenching millions and disrupting the tail end of summer. Town centres are submerged and schools shuttered due to the deluge, with further downpours predicted.
Transport in London faces challenges as widespread flooding affects the Metropolitan Line, Piccadilly Line, and District Line. Gloucestershire schools, including Chosen Hill School in Churchdown, The Milestone School in Gloucester, and Tewkesbury CofE Primary, have closed after being inundated on Friday and will remain so for assessments.
The Environment Agency has issued a warning about “significant” flood risks for parts of England come Monday. The Agency’s Flood Duty Manager, Sarah Cook, cautioned that “persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms” could trigger property damage and hinder transport routes.
She added: “Persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to significant surface water flooding on Monday across parts of England.”
Additionally, Cook warned of potential localized urban flooding and rapid responses in some catchments, which may include property flooding and travel disruption while allaying fears by noting the current low risk of river flooding, reports the Mirror.
Sarah Cook confirmed that “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.”
Parts of the UK have been battered by relentless rain, resulting in extensive damage to vehicles and a high risk to properties due to severe flooding. Stoke-on-Trent has experienced mudslides that swallowed cars whole and has been further threatened by dramatic lightning strikes.
By Sunday evening, many towns in the southeast found themselves submerged, with residents in areas such as Dunstable, Bedfordshire, and Hitchin, Hertfordshire left with no choice but to vacate their homes due to the escalating waters. Warnings were issued by Bedfordshire Police regarding the closure of the town’s High Street as a result of the significant flood levels.
Images circulating show several cars completely engulfed by water and businesses suffering devastating damage from the unrelenting floods, with many confronted with “heartbreaking” destruction. The community has received strong advisement to steer clear of the affected areas, and drivers are being instructed to seek out alternative travel routes.
As extreme weather patterns continue to affect greater London and its environs, including eyewitness accounts of a tornado in Luton on Sunday, the disruption ripples through the transport services as well.
Tube lines have been hit by the adverse conditions, with the Metropolitan line halting services between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Uxbridge while the Piccadilly line has stopped running between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge, although a good service is operating on other parts of the Metropolitan line with local buses accepting tickets of passengers affected by the disruptions.
The District line also faced challenges with no trains running between Turnham Green and Richmond due to persistent flooding issues.
Homes and businesses across the UK are preparing for more heavy rain today, with up to six inches of rainfall predicted in 24 hours for some already saturated areas.
This is also expected to wreak havoc on travel, with the A5 Stretton in Staffordshire and roads in Bedfordshire closed. Train cancellations are also anticipated, with Great Northern, Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink all reporting service issues so far.
The Environment Agency has confirmed that there are currently 13 flood warnings in place, indicating imminent flooding.
In addition, a further 69 flood alerts have been issued, signalling potential flooding.
Source: Evening Standard
