Torrential
rain causes flooding and huge disruption
Torrential
downpours caused flooding across the country today, closing a
motorway, disrupting train services and leaving thousands of people
preparing to evacuate their homes.
6
July, 2012
The
Environment Agency issued more than 40 flood warnings and over 120
less serious flood alerts as a month’s rain fell in just 24 hours.
Motorists
battled with treacherous conditions on the roads, and the M50
motorway in Gloucestershire was partially closed in both directions.
Householders
in the worst-affected areas in East Anglia, the Midlands and northern
England were advised to move their valuables upstairs, roll up
carpets and put down sandbags.
The
British Red Cross put emergency response teams on standby to help
flood-hit communities and urged people to pack their bags so they
could be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice
Insurers
have pledged to help people whose homes and businesses are damaged by
the flooding.
Many
events were cancelled, including today’s racing at Warwick and this
weekend’s MFEST music festival at Harewood House in Leeds, which
was due to have been headlined by the Human League and Texas in front
of 30,000 fans.
Motor
racing fans travelling to Silverstone for the practice sessions for
Sunday’s British Grand Prix were stuck in lengthy queues getting to
the circuit from the M1 and then had to negotiate waterlogged car
parks.
The
flooding caused delays and cancellations on the railways, with
problems reported in Manchester, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire
and Nottinghamshire.
The
Prince of Wales was among those held up by rain-related travel
disruption when he visited Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
The
town, which was badly flooded a fortnight ago, was again hit by heavy
rain and Charles was an hour late arriving.
However,
the Prince paid no heed to the bad weather, touring a flood-affected
primary school before braving the elements without a coat to call in
at several of Hebden Bridge’s shops and cross a bridge over the
swollen and swift-flowing River Calder.
The
Met Office said the main band of rain would leave central England and
move north before curling back overnight to reach south-west England,
which is likely to be the worst affected area tomorrow.
Forecasters
added that between the showers conditions should be bright, with
temperatures possibly reaching as high as 20C.
The
Met Office has issued amber weather warnings for south-west England
and parts of central Scotland for tomorrow.
It
said: “The public should be prepared for the likelihood of surface
water flooding and some disruption to travel and outdoor activities.”
Last
month was the wettest June since records began, with double the
average rainfall for the period, and this month looks set to break
the record for July.
There
is no immediate end in sight to the wash-out summer, with
meteorologists warning that Britain is very unlikely to see a long
spell of hot, sunny weather during the Olympics.
However,
the Met Office does say that the conditions when the Games are on
should not be as bad as they have been over the past month.
Bookmakers
William Hill today cut the odds of rain falling during the Olympics
opening ceremony on July 27 from 4/1 to 1/1.
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