Torrential rain causes major flooding in parts ofWales
FLOODS wreaked havoc across parts of Wales overnight on Wednesday and into the early hours of yesterday after torrential rain.
A clean-up operation was underway yesterday after a busy night for emergency services, who received dozens of calls for help as rivers burst their banks and roads were water-logged, with Gwynedd and Anglesey being the worst hit. Almost an inch and a half of rain fell on Anglesey in the space of 24 hours.
Four flood warnings and 15 flood alerts were in place across the region yesterday morning and many major routes including parts of the A55 and A5 were closed at some stages.
Some train services came to a standstill, with railway lines blocked by floodwater and damage. Yesterday morning also saw restrictions on the Britannia Bridge and old Severn Bridge because of high winds.
Commuters were also affected, with replacement bus services running between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog yesterday due to flooding, also between Bangor and Holyhead.
The weather-related disruption came after forecasters’ warning of winds up to 70mph across Wales. The Met Office had issued a severe weather warning for the whole of the country for Wednesday, when gusts of up to 70mph were expected to hit exposed coastal areas and high ground.
Some of the hardest hit areas included Beaumaris, Llangefni, Menai Bridge, Rhosneigr, Bangor, Caernarfon and Pwllheli, while Pembrokeshire also saw torrential rain and flooding in some areas.
Severe flooding sparked travel chaos across north Wales with major routes, including parts of the A55 on Anglesey and Gwynedd.
Shocking pictures from the A545 in Anglesey showed a major landslip caused by water cascading onto the road and carrying away a wall in the garden below at Glyn Garth, while North Wales Police advised motorists of avoiding travelling where possible on Wednesday night. The police force said: “Our officers are dealing with numerous reports of localised flooding across our roads in Gwynedd and Anglesey. Please avoid travelling where possible, essential travel only.”
Dramatic footage was shot in the town centre of the River Cefni bursting its banks and sending a deluge of water into the town centre and hitting shops and businesses, with motorists being forced to abandon their cars when several feet of water hit.
Meanwhile, Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey was forced to close to the public to deal with flooding which hit the town. Pictures posted by castle workers on social media showed the 13th century castle submerged under inches of water.
But Wales was not the only place to be affected by the weather.
More than 70 people were rescued in north Lancashire as heavy rain caused widespread flooding and travel disruption across northwest England.
A number of roads were closed in the area and 27 residents were evacuated from their homes in the village of Galgate, near Lancaster, before sheltering in local pubs overnight.
Lancashire Constabulary said emergency services, the Environment Agency and Lancaster City Council had received more than 500 flood-related calls, and attended over 100 incidents.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said more than 70 people had been rescued, along with at least 20 horses, a cat and a dog.
The fire service said most of the rescues did not involve a “life risk”, with some of the more serious incidents including moving vulnerable people out of their homes, saving trapped animals, and pumping flood water out of houses.
People were urged not to call emergency services unless there was a threat to life as crews tackled a backlog of incidents.
The Met Office said around 1.7in (4.3cm) of rain had fallen in 24 hours in parts of Lancashire, while further north in Cumbria around half a month’s rain, 3.5in (8.9cm), was recorded in 36 hours at Shap.
Rail operator Northern tweeted that flooding had stopped services between Lancaster and Morecambe, Carlisle, Oxenholme and Windermere.
A southbound stretch of the M6 in south Cumbria was reduced to one lane on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, while North Yorkshire Police said “a number of vehicles” had been recovered from floodwaters in the Yorkshire Dales as the A65 was closed.
In Scotland, wintry showers are forecast to bring 0.7in to 2in (1.8cm5cm) of snow to many parts of Scotland and up to 7.9in (20cm) on the highest ground, the Met Office said.
Snow was beginning to accumulate on high ground on Thursday morning, with 1.7in (4.3cm) on Aviemore and 1.2in (3cm) in Altnaharra.
The Met Office says today will begin with a cold and frosty start across Wales, with plenty of sunshine and light winds and a maximum temperature of 8°C. A few showers in the north are possible, while tonight is set to be cold with some heavy, wintry showers.
Forecasters are predicting a cold weekend, with frosty mornings, sunshine and wintry showers – and even showers of snow over high ground. It is set to rain overnight into Monday, with showers and strengthening winds later on.