UK weather: hundreds of flood warnings in place after heavy rain

There are currently many flood warnings issued due to extensive and intense rainfall throughout the United Kingdom. Over the course of this week, roughly 1,000 buildings have experienced flooding in England and Wales.

On Thursday, houses in the Midlands experienced flooding, and even some areas in southern England such as Gloucestershire and Wiltshire were affected too. As of Friday morning, there were 281 flood warnings in England and 13 in Wales, and weather experts believe that rain could continue.

The recent heavy rainfall has caused problems for train providers as well. Great Western Railway has reported the closure of numerous train lines due to flooding. These include the routes between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, Reading and Castle Cary, and Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall.

The occurrence of a landslide in Arlesey located in Bedfordshire is causing disruptions for the Thameslink train services.

South Western Railway has reported that a landslide that took place in Crewkerne has caused severe disruption on all lines. The railway company has informed passengers that the disruptions will continue until the end of Friday.

Last Thursday, flooding caused the closure of a lot of local roads particularly in the western part of England. On Friday, the A421, which connects the M1 motorway to the A6, became impassable due to the flood. The National Highways is currently doing some work to remove the flood water and clear the road.

Overnight in Hackney Wick, a canal overflowed, which resulted in an area of around 4 hectares (10 acres) being flooded. The firefighters heroically rescued approximately 50 people in eastern London to keep them safe.

Caroline Douglass, who is in charge of managing floods for the Environment Agency, has reported that the Trent River is currently at one of its highest levels in the past 24 years. She informed viewers of BBC Breakfast that over 1,000 properties in England have already been affected by floods this week, and it's expected that this number will rise in the coming days.

Douglass expressed that there has been a vast amount of precipitation. From November until December, the earth was exceedingly soaked throughout the country, particularly in the eastern area, due to Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran. Additionally, the rainfall increased even more over the pre-Christmas period. The water from this week has further contributed to the saturation of the ground, rendering no empty space for water to deal with.

When the ground becomes fully soaked, the occurrence of flooding becomes more frequent and its effects are far more intense than what we have witnessed in the past. This particularly happens in regions where individuals are not accustomed to such conditions.

On Thursday, Otterbourne in Hampshire received the largest amount of rainfall with a recorded total of 35.2mm. In many southern counties of England, there was a varying range of 20mm-30mm of rainfall.

According to the Environment Agency, some areas in England will experience a significant impact from surface water and river flooding in the next five days.

A significant event was proclaimed due to the extensive flooding in the Midlands on Thursday. Additionally, the Met Office released a yellow weather alert for rain in the southern regions.

According to Stefan Laeger from the Environment Agency, there is a high potential for severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall in specific areas of the Midlands as well as the southern and eastern regions of England. This could result in significant surface water and river flooding due to the already soaked catchments. The threat is expected on both Thursday and Friday.

Over the next five days, it is probable that there will be continued small effects throughout a significant portion of England due to the gradual response of certain bigger rivers to the predicted and preceding precipitation.

This news arrives a few days following disturbances that occurred because of the impactful winds and rain from Storm Henk. As a result, the earth is now excessively dampened and advances the likelihood of floods occurring.

The Nottinghamshire local government stated that there is a critical situation because of the increased water levels in the River Trent. They advised individuals residing in regions that are prone to flooding to be ready to leave their homes if necessary.

The statement stated that predictions indicated that the heights of the Trent could potentially get very close to the highest marks ever recorded in 2000. It also advised residents living in regions alongside the Trent valley to be ready for flooding.

According to the BBC, Wiltshire council's leader, Richard Clewer, said they received around 100 phone calls regarding flood-damaged properties during the night. He added that in the 20 years he has lived in the county, he had not seen such a severe surface water problem on the roads before.

On Thursday night, individuals residing on Alney Island in the center of the River Severn in Gloucester were forced to leave their homes due to an emergency situation.

The flood waters left a man trapped on his shed roof, but he was fortunately saved by a team from Highfields fire station. They utilized a boat to help bring him back to land and ensure his safety.

The Nottinghamshire county council mentioned that several important streams that flow into the River Trent (such as the River Derwent, the River Soar, and the River Dove) have already reached their highest points. This means that the water levels will increase along the Trent. Due to this, it is probable that there will be flooding in various properties and roads.

People living in areas where there is a high risk of flooding are being advised to make sure they are ready to leave their homes if they are told to do so. The local councils, emergency services and the Environment Agency have been offering help to those who have been affected by the floods and will carry on doing that all across the region.

A number of folks living in Radcliffe Residential Park, a site where stationary trailers for those over 55 are located on the eastern part of the town, had to leave because of excessively high water levels.

In another location, some cows perished by drowning in Sawley village situated in Derbyshire which initiated a probe into their welfare.

Following the precipitation in the metropolis of London, a floating vessel designed to serve as a bar, dining establishment, and nighttime entertainment venue became submerged in the river Thames.