‘Blood moon’ fails to rise across UK as heatwave ends
officers had to hold back passengers trying to get on platforms at Leeds station, after Northern, Transpennine Express and Cross Country services were also disrupted by the storms.
Passengers who had hoped to travel to the Continent by rail were stranded in London after Eurotunnel took the “unprecedented decision” to cancel thousands of day tickets. The tunnel operator said that it had made the decision to ease queues after the air conditioning units broke down on the trains, leading to long delays.
Stargazers were last night quick to bemoan how heavy clouds arrived just as the “blood moon” lunar eclipse was due to start, completely blocking their view of the phenomenon after weeks of clear skies. One quipped: “Of course my prayers for rain have been answered on the night of the blood moon.”
A blanket of grey spoiled any chance of a glimpse for people in London, Hampshire and Wiltshire in the south and south-west, to Hull in east Yorkshire, Liverpool in the north-west and Dublin in Ireland. Some Britons had better luck however, with the Grenadier Guards stationed in Iraq posting images showing troops gazing at a red-sheened moon hanging in a clear sky.
The Environment Agency said that heavy rainfall on dry or compacted ground may run off quickly, causing river levels to rise rapidly and bringing a risk of flooding.