Flood warnings remain in place as cold weather alert issued
Properties in Barcombe Mills, East Sussex are facing the approaching flood waters from the River Ouse. (Photo credit: Gareth Fuller/PA)
There are still about 250 flood alerts in effect across England and Wales due to ongoing weather conditions that continue to disrupt transportation in many areas of the country.
The Met Office thinks that the rainfall has stopped for now. But, the water in some places is still really high, and the temperature is going to get colder in the coming days. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has told everyone to be careful because of the cold weather, and they have issued a warning (called a "yellow cold weather alert").
On Saturday, the Environment Agency had set up a total of 244 flood warnings for areas in England where floods were expected. This number had decreased from over 300 flood warnings that were in place on Friday morning. Natural Resources Wales also had issued alerts for two areas - the River Wye at Monmouth and the River Ritec at Tenby - where flooding was likely to occur.
An additional 262 flood alerts were issued for England, indicating the possibility of flooding, and nine were issued for Wales.
Information provided by the Environment Agency has indicated that nearly all rivers throughout England have exceeded extremely high levels, with a few even surpassing previous records.
Severe rainfall in Cambridgeshire resulted in the unavailability of rail replacement buses which were meant to be utilized due to the line being submerged, and they could not reach St Neots and Huntingdon railway stations for some time during the night.
According to the company, there was a landslip near Arlesey in Bedfordshire last Thursday that caused damage and Network Rail is currently working to fix it. Along with that, there are some planned engineering works. The company predicts that the lines that are affected by this will be back in operation by Monday's beginning, but until then, there will be a bus replacement service.
The Great Western Railway experienced a lot of trouble due to flooding near Chipping Sodbury, causing significant disruptions to their services. They have urged passengers to double-check their travel plans before stepping out over the weekend.
South Western Railway experienced significant disruptions throughout its network on Friday, which included a landslip occurring in Crewkerne, Somerset. However, the railway company confirmed that their services on Saturday were running smoothly without any issues.
Flooding has caused the closure of roads in and nearby Gloucester. The authorities in Gloucestershire have also reported that a taxi driver was rescued on Friday evening due to getting trapped in floodwater while driving through it, despite being previously reported for violating traffic regulations.
The River Severn is likely to have reached its highest point at Gloucester Docks and Worcester on Friday evening, according to the Environment Agency.
National Highways reported on Saturday morning that the A419 slip road close to Cirencester had to be shut down due to flooding.
The fire brigade in Sheffield got an emergency call to save a guy who had fallen into the surging River Don.
The Agency that monitors the environment has reported that there will be major flooding in various areas of the Midlands on Saturday, particularly along the River Trent and in Gloucester.
The statement mentioned that locations in the South West located on the River Avon will also face consequences. The consequences are expected to occur in multiple parts of England for the upcoming five days due to the ground being completely soaked.
According to Caroline Douglass, who directs the flood agency, the Trent River has reached some of the highest levels in the past 24 years. This caused the Nottinghamshire County Council to declare a major incident on Thursday.
According to the Met Office's forecast, Saturday is expected to be predominantly dry across most regions, with occasional bouts of sunshine. Nevertheless, there may be some precipitation near the coast and expect a drop in temperature at night as frost and fog accumulate.
According to the report, there will be a significant decrease in temperature in some parts of rural south-west England, reaching minus 4C on Saturday night. On Sunday night, the temperature is expected to drop even further, reaching minus 6C in rural areas along the Welsh border in Shropshire and north Herefordshire.
The weather on Sunday is expected to be mostly without rain, save for a few scattered showers in the southeast part of England during the morning. The chilly temperatures will persist throughout much of the following week.
The UKHSA has announced a cautionary message for people who are vulnerable and elderly due to cold weather conditions. This warning will be effective from Saturday at 9am until noon on January 12. There are predictions that temperatures will be a few degrees below the usual average throughout most of the UK, especially at night. People should also be aware of the risk of ice forming on damp ground.
According to the expert forecaster, Jason Kelly of the Met Office, the upcoming weather is going to be largely determined by high pressure, leading to a high likelihood of stable weather conditions.
The weather forecast anticipates less rain and a noticeable improvement in the visibility with clearer skies ahead. However, any rain that may happen is likely to be of a wintery type.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said that people should feel confident about the way the government has dealt with flooding. However, the Labour party has accused the government of not paying enough attention to flood warnings. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, has promised to improve flood defences so that they are more effective. He posted on social media that people's lives should not be disrupted by heavy rain.
Helen Morgan, representative for housing and communities from the Liberal Democratic Party, urged Mr. Sunak to personally witness the impact of the floods in affected regions. She stated that it is essential for the Prime Minister to observe the destruction caused by this natural calamity firsthand.
