2 months’ rain in a day

Flooding threatens life, warns Met Office

Floods caused by two months’ of rain in a day and melting snow could pose a ‘danger to life’, the Met office warned last night.

England and Wales are on alert for disruption caused by up to 127mm (5in) of rain falling on already-saturated ground.

With milder temperatures likely to cause last week’s remaining snow to melt, it is feared that some roads will be closed and communities cut off.

Until now, Britain has been spared the widespread flooding seen in November 2019 when as many as 8,000 homes were inundated. But a repeat at a time when emergency services are stretched to the limit by the pandemic could prove disastrous, it is feared.

Worst affected is expected to be the Peak district, where 120mm (4.7in) of rain is forecast from tonight to Wednesday morning. A covering of snow still to thaw could equate to an extra 5-10mm of rain cascading into rivers and streams. That could bring the risk of catastrophic flooding downstream in built-up areas such as sheffield, which faces 100mm (4in) of rainfall in 36 hours – twice the city’s January average.

An amber warning for heavy rain was imposed yesterday for an area covering Manchester, leeds and sheffield from tomorrow morning to Wednesday night. It warns of ‘fast flowing or deep floodwater’ causing a ‘danger to life’.

There is also a threat of delays or cancellations to public transport, ‘difficult driving conditions’, and a ‘good chance’ some communities will be cut off by flooded roads.

less severe yellow warnings for ‘prolonged and heavy rain’ leading to a risk of flooding and disrupted travel come into force tomorrow covering the whole of Wales, Northern England and parts of the Midlands, extending to the rest of the country on Wednesday.

last night Katharine smith of the Environment Agency said its teams were ‘ out on the ground clearing grills... and erecting temporary barriers where needed’.