Don’t worry, it’ll be sunny again in time for the Bank Holiday
‘Progressively warmer and it will be dry’
TORRENTIAL rain, ferocious winds and plunging temperatures... it could have been the middle of winter.
But these were the scenes as a deluge battered parts of Britain yesterday, leaving one man dead and bringing chaos to commuters.
In some areas a month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours, leaving roads blocked by floods and fallen trees. Only ten days ago the country had been basking in a heatwave.
However, forecasters say a dramatic improvement is expected as the week progresses and temperatures are expected to rise as high as 22C (72F) by Bank Holiday Monday.
This would make large parts of Britain warmer than the Costa Del Sol in Spain, Majorca and Ibiza.
The dead man was believed to have been washed off the pier in Ramsgate, Kent, by a giant wave.
Two of his friends were pulled from the harbour water. Last night they were recovering in hospital as police tried to contact the family of the dead man.
In separate tragedy a 95-year- old woman was left fatally injured after she was knocked to the pavement by a wall of water caused by cars driving through a puddle.
Hilda Moore of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, struck her head as he fell on Friday and was left with a brain haemorrhage. Last night her family said she had been moved to a quiet room in hospital to spend her final hours. They accused drivers of continuing to go through the puddle after Mrs Moore had fallen.
In total, three inches of rain fell in 24 hours in the wettest areas yesterday – 50 per cent more than the April average. Worst hit was the East of the country, especially the South East.
Trees crashed down on to roads in London and Kent while cars were photographed driving through two feet of water. Trains were cancelled as engineers struggled to reopen lines hit by flooding and fallen trees.
In Kent, firemen cut one man free from his car after he became trapped by a fallen tree and two parents and their baby were rescued after their vehicle was caught in a flood.
Along the county’s coast beach huts were battered and swept away by the waves. Cricketers in the Essex v Hampshire fixture took to the pitch wearing woolly hats while tourists punting on the River Cam in Cambridge had to wrap up in rugs. Highs of just 5.5C (42F) in Frittenden, Kent and 8C (46F) in Norwich were recorded.
The weather will calm today and temperatures are expected to rise during the week. Richard Martin-Barton, meteorologist at Meteogroup, said: ‘Once we get to Sunday in particular I think we’ll get to 20 or 21C (70F) in the South – about five degrees above average.
‘ I think it will get progressively warmer and it will be dry, with high pressure dominating.’
Rain was expected to ease away from the South East last night as more rain moves in from the South West tonight.
Just over a week ago Britain enjoyed a heatwave with a top temperature of 29.1C (84.3F) recorded in St James’s Park, London, on April 19, making it the hottest April day since 1949.