Dales on high alert as Storm Dennis looms
■ ‘Very heavy rain’ likely to fall on saturated ground ■ County blighted by floods over the last 15 years
THE YORKSHIRE Dales is in the eye of the new storm forecast for today and tomorrow, the Met Office has warned.
Storm Dennis, the fourth “named” storm of the winter, is expected to bring “very heavy rain” to the Dales, the Brecon Beacons in South Wales, and Dartmoor for 24 hours from this afternoon.
It is only just over six months since a summer storm wrought havoc in the northern Dales, ripping up roads and bridges and destroying property and livestock. About 100 homes were flooded during the deluge in late July.
Matthew Box, a Met Office meteorologist, said inland gusts could reach 50mph by this afternoon, rising to 80mph in exposed areas – mostly in the south and west.
He said the wind was unlikely to be as strong as during Storm Ciara last weekend, but that “the focus is on a bit more rain with Storm Dennis due to the persistence of the rain”.
Higher locations could have rainfall levels of 50mm to 80mm over the course of the weekend, potentially rising to 140mm in some parts, Mr Box said.
The Environment Agency said preparations were under way to operate flood defences, flood storage reservoirs and to put up temporary barriers to protect communities, includes the Foss Barrier, in York.
John Curtin, the agency’s executive director of flood and coastal risk management, said Yorkshire, along with Cumbria and Lancashire were the areas he was most “concerned” about.
“This (storm) could be a step up from what we have seen before,” Mr Curtin said. “We had a big storm last weekend, (we now have) saturated catchments, snowmelt and rainfall, so it is a perfect storm.”
Across the country, 14 flood warnings were in place last night, meaning that flooding is “expected”, and 126 flood alerts were issued, meaning that flooding is possible. In North Yorkshire, there were four warnings and five alerts, according to gov.uk
Network Rail advised passengers to expect disruption on many routes and to allow more time for their journeys. Conditions were likely to cause damage to some buildings, the Met Office added. Fast flowing or deep floodwater is also likely, “causing danger to life”, while trains, buses and roads could be hit by closures, cancellations and delays.
In the Dales, Richmondshire Council – whose area was worst hit last summer – set up a helpline on 01653 690738 for residents and businesses in need of sandbags.
The council’s leader, Angie Dale, said: “It’s important people know that there is help out there. We would just like to think that it won’t be needed.”
North Yorkshire County Council said it was making preparations in the areas most likely to be hit. Its chief executive, Richard Flinton, said: “Combined with melting snow on some high ground and the fact that a lot of land is already saturated following the floods left by Ciara last weekend, we are focused on targeting resources where the impacts of further rain are most likely.”
The council said “a handful” of roads across the county remained closed from the last flooding and from snow on high routes in the Dales.
Supt Jason Dickson, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Last weekend was very busy for everyone at North Yorkshire Police, with adverse weather causing a lot of disruption.
“We will continue to work closely with other organisations to keep routes as clear as possible should we see a repeat of difficult conditions. Our advice is to be prepared and, if the weather is really bad, do not make unnecessary journeys.”
This storm could be a step up from what we have seen before.
John Curtin, from The Environment Agency.