STORM’S RAIN OF TERROR
Soggy goods...stranded delivery van in Westgate, Co Durham. Below, lorry keels over on M62 near Milnrow, Rochdale
THOUSANDS of people faced a mass evacuation last night as two months’ worth of rain and snow was set to fall in just over two days.
Downpours swamped communities, with the worst blizzards since 2018’s Beast from the East expected to sweep in, whipped up by 60mph gales in the North-east.
Last night people were urged to evacuate their homes if instructed, as Storm Christoph left thousands of properties at risk of flooding.
Boris Johnson chaired a Cobra crisis meeting as major incidents were declared in Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Cheshire.
Amber and yellow weather warnings are in force until later today for the storm, which is also threatening to bring up to 12in of snow to some areas in the north.
Last night around 160 residents in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, were being evacuated due to flooding.
Up to 3,000 properties in Greater Manchester could be affected, an assistant chief constable has said.
Two “danger to life” flood warnings were also issued in the area.
The Prime Minister urged people to heed the flood warnings and follow advice from authorities. He said: “There are times I have been to scenes where, alas, people have decided not to obey the advice and not evacuated. It’s always people’s right to stay wherever they are.
“But if you are told to leave your home, you should do so.”
Downing Street has said Covidsecure facilities will be available for any people forced to evacuate as a result of the weather.
Mr Johnson said steps were being taken to ensure the transport and energy networks were prepared so electricity outages would not be “severe” and that there were sufficient supplies of sandbags.
He added: “We are looking at a pattern of rainfall, possibly not so bad this week, but worse possibly next week.”
York, Collingham, Old Malton and Knaresborough all teetered on the brink of being swamped, while traffic on the M62 near Rochdale was halted when a lorry overturned.
Nearly 5in of rain has already fallen in parts of the country, including Capel Curig in North Wales,
in the 24 hours up to 2pm on Wednesday. Crai Reservoir in South Wales saw the second highest total, with 4.5in, and areas in Glamorgan and Cumbria also topped 4in over the same period.
Welney, Cambs, is seeing its worst flooding for 10 years while St Helen’s in Merseyside and Co Durham have also been badly affected by the downpours.
And people prepared for floods in West Yorkshire yesterday, with residents of Hebden Bridge in the CalderValley stacking up sandbags.
Disruption
Some 100 flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency across England, with 209 less severe flood alerts, across the Midlands and north of the country.
Almost the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are subject to yellow weather warnings for rain until midday today.
A more serious amber warning stretches from the East Midlands to the Lake District.
Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge described Christoph as “quite
a slow-moving system” which bringing “a variety of weather”.
Public Health England (PHE) has issued a cold weather alert for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber from 9am today until Monday.
Dr Owen Landeg, from PHE, urged people to “keep looking out” for frail or older neighbours and relatives, particularly those living alone or with a serious illness.
Rail services have also been disrupted on the Northern network after tracks flooded.
The customer director at Transport for Greater Manchester, Stephen Rhodes, said: “Due to the severe weather and the risk of flooding we are seeing disruption across the transport network. If you must travel then take extra care, allow extra time and plan your journey.”
Meanwhile, scientists warned that parts of the UK could be hit by up to 35 per cent more flooding by 2080.
Data expert Dr Annie VisserQuinn, of Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, said that research estimates “paint a concerning picture... especially when combined with increasing urbanisation”.