Torrential rain and flooding across northern England and Scotland has forced hundreds of residents to abandon their homes after more than a month's rain fell in just 24 hours.
There are 151 flood warnings and alerts in place across northern England and Scotland on Saturday morning after the downpour. An estimated 450 people have been evacuated as their homes were flooded.
More than 11,000 homes and businesses were being protected by flood defences as forecasters predicted more rain later on Saturday.
Cumbria was among the worst hit areas where almost four inches of rain fell overnight. In some areas water levels were waist deep.
Families in Croston and Darwen, nearly Chorley, in Lancashire were evacuated from their homes after rivers burst their banks.
In Wigan residents had to be carried from their homes by boat after the heavy rain overwhelmed drains there.
Businesses and homes in West Yorkshire were also badly flooded while residents at a care home in Todmorden had to be moved to the top floor of their building to avoid the rising water.
The heavy rain also brought widespread chaos to the transport system as train services were disrupted.
Revellers at the Isle of Wight Festival were also hit as the site for the event turned into a quagmire and hundreds of cars became trapped in the mud near the entrance to the festival, leading to traffic jams across the island.
Forecasters have predicted there will be further heavy rain on Saturday evening in the west of the country with the worst of the downpours hitting England and Wales and gradually moving east.
The wet weather is expected to ease on Sunday but many parts of the country will still suffer from heavy showers with some localised thunder storms.
On Saturday morning, the Environment Agency had issued 93 flood warnings in the north east and north west of England, urging residents to take immediate action to prepare for the flooding.
A further 52 flood alerts were in place across the north and west of England, while the Scottish Environment Protection Agency had also issued flood alerts in nine regions of Scotland.
There were also five flood warnings in place in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, and in several parts of the Scottish Borders.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "We're asking people in Greater Manchester, Liverpool, the Wirral, North Cheshire and Lancashire to remain vigilant and prepared for flooding.
"We have mobilised teams across the North West to check on flood defences, clear any river blockages and closely monitor river levels.
"These teams will be working around the clock to reduce the risk of flooding."
The Met Office said severe weather warnings remained in place in the North West, East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, Northern Ireland, Strathclyde, south-west and central Scotland, Lothian Borders, Tayside and Fife.
In some parts of the country emergency workers were so overwhelmed by calls on Friday night about flooding they were forced to restrict themselves to responding to only those where lives were at risk.
In Croston, Lancashire, police said at least 40 properties were threatened as nearby rivers burst their banks and some residents had to be evacuated.
Andrew Edmundsen, landlord of the Black Horse pub in Croston, told the BBC: "At the moment we are an island. All three roads that lead in are flooded. If you're in you're in, if you're out you're out."
At least 70 homes had to be evacuated on Friday due to the flooding with many more residents evacuated overnight in parts of the country.
Localised flash flooding also hit households in Greater Manchester where water was said to be waist height in some areas.
Firefighters were called in to clear floodwater in Wigan, helping three people and a dog away from their properties by boat after 14 properties were flooded.
In the Yorkshire Dales, several people had to be rescued from cars after they became stranded in flash flooding.
North Yorkshire Fire Service said three cars had become stuck in fast-moving flood water on the A684 in the Hawes area and nine people were rescued by firefighters.
Another man had to be rescued further along the same road near Bainbridge and two women were rescued from a car trapped in floodwater at Carleton, near Skipton.
In Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, the River Calder burst its banks at around 9pm on Friday night, leaving homes and businesses under water. Hebden Bridge and Todmorden wwere also inundated with water.
In Calderdale, West Yorkshire, 20 people had to be rescued from their homes by boat before being taken to emergency shelters provided by the local council.
Local councillor Simon Young said: "It was really a pretty devastating picture. Countless homes and businesses were under water in the centre of Mytholmroyd.
"I've spoken to a lot of people, a lot of whom have lived in the area for years, and they cannot remember anything like this in the last 24 years.
"It's going to be a pretty big clean-up operation."
A pensioner was taken to hospital with serious injuries after his car came off a road in the Scottish borders in the torrential conditions.
The terrible conditions also threatened the Olympic Torch as it travelled through Blackpool, forcing organisers to cancel an outdoor event.
There were also reports that a home in Osgodby near Selby was damaged after being struck by lightning.
The Great North Swim in Cumbria was also postponed due to strong winds and heavy rain on Saturday. The event is now due to take place on Sunday.
Drier weather on Saturday morning should have allowed water levels to drop, but with more rain on its way in the afternoon, the risk of flooding is expected to continue.
No comments:
Post a Comment