UK weather: ‘Significant flooding’ risk as heavy rain moves north

Northern England has been warned to prepare for potentially more “significant flooding” as further downpours are expected to hit already saturated areas.

The Environment Agency (EA) says the Pennines and parts of North Yorkshire are most at risk from Friday through to next week due to “probable” worries the lower River Severn could burst its banks.

There are currently five danger-to-life flood warnings in place in the Midlands, with two covering Hampton Bishop, Herefordshire, due to the nearby rivers of Lugg and Wye.

Three of the warnings cover the Severn in Upton upon Severn and Uckinghall in Worcestershire.

A further 82 flood warnings in the UK are in place – meaning flooding is expected – and 146 alerts where flooding is possible.

Caroline Douglass, the EA’s director of incident management, highlighted that for some areas this would be a third consecutive weekend of wet weather, following Storm Ciara a fortnight ago, and Storm Dennis last week.

She said: “This is the third weekend we have seen exceptional river levels and stormy weather, and with the effects of climate change, we need to prepare for more frequent periods of extreme weather like this.

“People need to be aware of their flood risk, sign up to flood warnings, make a flood plan and not to drive or walk through flood water.”

Meanwhile, the Met Office has also issued several yellow rain alerts for western Scotland, Northern Ireland and north east England for the start of the weekend.

Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge said some of the heavy rain forecast for the weekend would be hitting areas still reeling in the aftermath of Storm Dennis.

He said: “There is still heavy rain in the forecast, and some of this will be falling on areas already affected by flooding.

“The yellow warning is in place from Sheffield to North Yorkshire and beyond.

“We are expecting 20-30mm of rain widely across that area, with as much as 60-80mm in some places.”

England has already experienced 141% of its average February rainfall this month, with river levels setting records in the Colne, Ribble, Calder, Aire, Trent, Severn, Wye, Lugg, and Derwent.

Capel Curig in Snowdonia, north Wales, recorded 80mm (3.1ins) of rainfall in 24 hours to Thursday morning – the highest in the UK.

In the same time period, Levens Hall in Cumbria saw 55.2mm (2.1ins) of rain, while Morecambe, Lancashire, got 51.6mm (2ins).

Flooding in the area between Carlisle and Lancaster temporarily blocked the main rail route between England and Scotland, causing a backlog in services running from London and Birmingham to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Several rail routes in Wales remain closed.

Fundraising initiatives continue to help those who have been affected by the adverse weather and flooding.

Actor Michael Sheen has joined the efforts to help flood-hit communities in South Wales and has raised more than £25,000 on GoFundMe in under 24 hours.

The 51-year-old Frost/Nixon star tweeted: “People all over world sending £10, £20 donations and saying sorry it’s not more! Hugely touched by it. Let’s keep going.”

(c) Sky News 2020: UK weather: ‘Significant flooding’ risk as heavy rain moves north