Carnage of Christoph

Storm ‘to bring 8in of rain in 48 hours’

BRITAIN is braced for a battering as Storm Christoph lands today with predictions of up to 8in of rain over 48 hours, widespread flooding and evacuations from homes.

The deluge on already saturated parts of the Peak District and Pennines, which also face melting snow, could lead to rivers bursting banks downstream, forecasters warned.

Flood risk experts have briefed the Government, while local councils are drawing up plans to evacuate threatened communities in a Covid-safe way.

The Met Office, which officially named Christoph yesterday, raised fears of a repeat of last February’s devastation in the wake of Storms Ciara and Dennis which saw thousands of homes evacuated. An amber weather warning of the potential for ‘danger to life’ caused by heavy rain was extended from an area between Manchester and Sheffield as far south as Northampton, lasting until midday on Thursday. From tomorrow, all of England and Wales is covered by a yellow warning for more moderate impact from the deluge.

Met Office chief meteorologist

Dan Suri said: ‘ The rain will be heaviest on the western side of higher ground with over 100mm (4in) of rain expected quite widely and potentially up to 200mm possible in isolated, exposed areas.’

The Environment Agency urged people in parts of England to prepare for the risk of ‘significant’ flooding from this morning.

It said preparations were being made to operate flood defences, storage reservoirs and temporary barriers. Katharine Smith, EA flood duty manager, tweeted that she expected ‘significant river and surface water flooding’ and ‘damage to buildings’.

Tameside council on the western slopes of the Pennine moors urged residents in flood risk areas to take valuables upstairs and move their cars to higher ground. The all-time British record for 24-hour rainfall totals is 13.5in on December 4-5, 2015, at Honister Pass in Cumbria.