Christoph’s gone, but now a blizzard is on its way
FLOOD-HIT communities swamped by a month’s worth of rain from Storm Christoph were warned to brace for fresh misery last night as a big freeze was set to grip the country.
Forecasters said -7C blizzard conditions would hit many areas as a blast of Arctic air swept towards Britain after last week’s storm that continued to cause chaos yesterday.
Temporary barriers along the River Severn in Worcestershire were breached, with residents describing the surging floodwaters as a ‘tidal wave’.
Defences at the riverside town of Bewdley failed, leaving homes and businesses under water and residents devastated.
Irene Buxton, 70, who lives near the defences, said she was woken by a ‘crash’ as the barriers collapsed on Friday night.
‘I looked out of the window and it was like a tidal wave going towards the town,’ she said. ‘The water is in my hall and in my kitchen and we’re just battling to keep it out of the living room.’
Hereford and Worcester rescue teams were out in force, rescuing a man and his two dogs from Bewdley’s floodwaters, which were expected to peak at 5.53m, just shy of the November 2000 record of 5.56m. Further warnings were issued along a stretch of the Severn, including Ironbridge in Shropshire and Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire, which saw severe flooding during Storm Dennis last year.
Environment Secretary George Eustice warned of more ‘ challenges’ in parts of England as a blanket of snow was predicted.
Forecasters said the snow and ice will cause widespread travel disruption, with driving treacherous across the country. Temperatures were expected to plummet to -7C in parts of northern England and -10C in Scotland.
The Met Office said a band of rain will cross the South West of England and turn to snow as it moves eastwards. Up to 2in of snow could settle, but areas above 300ft could see as much as 10in.