UK weather: ‘Danger to life’ flood warnings issued as country braces for torrential rain

Possible snow and strong winds forecast ahead of impact from Hurricane Lorenzo

Harry Cockburn,Chiara Giordano
Tuesday 01 October 2019 01:43 BST
Comments
UK weather: The latest Met Office forecast

Danger to life warnings have been issued as parts of Britain face two more days of heavy downpours ahead of snow and the aftermath of Hurricane Lorenzo.

A yellow weather warning for rain is in place until midnight on Monday covering Wales and the West Midlands, and dozens of flood warnings and alerts have also been issued.

A further warning for heavy showers is also in place from 6am to 8pm on Tuesday covering the south of England, South Wales, the midlands and parts of East Anglia.

Thundery downpours with the possibility of hail are expected across the southwest, moving to the southeast by the afternoon.

The remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo, a former category 5 storm in the central Atlantic, could also cause high winds to reach the UK by the end of the week.

The brunt of the storm is forecast to hit the Azores islands off Portugal with winds up to 100mph on Tuesday, but could then spin close to Britain by Thursday.

Forecasters are predicting that heavy showers could bring a “small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life” on Tuesday.

Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said: “We could see some local quite torrential downpours and a risk of surface water flooding.”

He warned that slow-moving clouds on Tuesday meant “we could see as much as 40 to 50mm maybe in a couple of hours in some spots”.

The Environment Agency currently has 72 flood warnings advising immediate action and 193 flood alerts urging people to prepare for possible flooding covering the length and breadth of the country.

In west Norfolk, a “precautionary evacuation notice” has been issued for the coastal areas of Hunstanton, Heacham and Snettisham.

People are being told to leave caravans and properties in the area between 7am and 10am on Tuesday and not to return until it is safe to do so.

The public are also being advised to take care along beaches, promenades, coastal footpaths and roads as large waves and sea spray could be dangerous.

In the southwest, the Environment Agency also told people to avoid the seafront and check on flood warnings due to forecast high tides and winds.

Met Office forecaster Nicola Maxey told The Independent: “We’re going to see some heavy rain. We could see 40-50mm possible in only a couple of hours.

“The clouds are quite slow moving which is why you get this build-up of rainfall. There’s also a chance you might see some lightning and hail mixed up in those as well.”

Cyclists endured appalling conditions in Yorkshire on Sunday during the world championship road race from Leeds to Harrogate

Ms Maxey also confirmed the possibility Scotland could see its first snow of the season this week.

She said: “There is colder air coming down from the north through Wednesday and Thursday and there is the possibility we may see snow over the tops of the highest mountains in Scotland.

“It’s fairly normal for this time of year, and there’s nothing unusual about it – it will just be on the tops of the mountains.”

Later in the week, more unsettled conditions are expected, partly due to Hurricane Lorenzo, which has now diminished to a category 2 storm.

The Met Office’s computer weather models are yet to reach a consensus on how Lorenzo will move after it leaves the Azores, but some suggest the storm could pass by the UK entirely, while others indicate it could bring strong winds to the north of Scotland, or cross to the southwest.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Following the weekend’s downpours, there was no train service from Sheffield to Manchester due to water on the tracks, and there were speed restrictions in the opposite direction.

The operator warned it had imposed speed restrictions on many parts of its network due to safety concerns.

Northern Rail asked cycling fans turning out for the final day of the UCI Road World Championships in North Yorkshire on Sunday to rethink their travel plans after the route had to be changed to avoid flooding. The fan zone in Harrogate also had to be closed.

Despite the heavy weather, the men’s elite road race went ahead, although organisers had to amend the route to skip some of the most scenic parts of the Upper Dales.

Undeterred by the appalling weather, thousands of fans lined the route with umbrellas and wellies to watch one of the biggest events on the cycling calendar.

Additional reporting by Press Association

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in