Heavy rain is to take Christmas Day off... but it will return soon
COMMUNITIES coping with floods will be given a brief respite on Christmas Day before more rain sweeps in.
The Met Office said nearly everywhere should be dry tomorrow, with broken sunshine in most parts and temperatures ranging from 6-10C.
But with 80 flood warnings still in place from Cornwall to Middlesbrough, as well as 162 flood alerts, rain will return later this week.
While the Met Office did not issue any severe weather warnings, forecaster Marco Petegna said heavy rain and strong winds were expected from Boxing Day.
Many families are still facing a
Christmas washout with rivers having burst their banks.
Residents at the Little Venice Caravan Park in Yalding, Kent, had to be rescued and were waiting to see if they can return to their homes in time for Christmas.
There have been similar scenes of flooding in Cornwall, Sussex, Cambridgeshire and the Midlands.
The RAC yesterday warned of “bumper to bumper” traffic as 6.2 million people look to get away in time for the big day.
On the railways, passengers have suffered days of frustration and delays because of the heavy rain, with Southern Rail particularly hit.
TransPennine Express apologised to passengers after four in 10 of its services were delayed or cancelled in the run-up to Christmas. The company blamed a shortage of drivers and other staff.
Grand Central’s operations from Kings Cross also suffered cancellations yesterday, while East Coast Main Line trains were said to be overly full. There were also delays throughout Wales.
But there is good news for some festive travellers – there were no problems reported at any of the major UK airports yesterday.