Storm Conall brings more rain to parts of England and Wales
Storm Conall is bringing intense rainfall to the southeast of England, posing additional challenges for regions that are still recovering from the flooding caused by Storm Bert.
By Wednesday afternoon, England was under 85 flood warnings, which included a serious "danger to life" alert for the River Nene in Northamptonshire, along with another warning in Wales.
The Met Office has announced yellow weather alerts for rain in certain areas of southern England, effective from 10 PM GMT on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday. At the moment, there are no existing warnings.
Train services were halted in various regions because the tracks were flooded.
Torrential rain on Tuesday night led to almost 50mm of rainfall in Dartmoor, while many areas in southern England received between 20 and 30mm.
As rain persists into Wednesday morning, some areas in Dorset, Sussex, Surrey, Greater London, Essex, and Kent will see their total rainfall increase slightly.
A yellow rain alert from the Met Office is in effect for these areas until noon.
Although some regions in England and Wales experienced overnight rain, including places that were affected by flooding from Storm Bert, the rainfall amounts were relatively modest, ranging from about 3mm to 8mm. As a result, this should not cause any additional flooding.
The rain is connected to a forming low-pressure system moving from west to east over southern England.
In some areas of south-east England, trains were canceled on three lines because of flooded tracks, and five other lines experienced delays on Wednesday morning.
All Gatwick Express services were halted, and Thameslink travelers were warned to avoid travel in the morning. Numerous London Underground lines experienced delays because of overcrowding.
The full impact of Conall will be experienced in the Netherlands. Eastern England will also see some strong winds later on Wednesday as it intensifies over the North Sea.
Flood alerts, indicating that flooding is likely, are focused along the River Severn, stretching from Shropshire to Gloucestershire, as well as along the Bristol Avon and the River Nene in Northamptonshire.
A serious flood alert is still in effect for the Billing Aquadrome holiday park, where a significant emergency was declared over the weekend, as well as for local businesses along the Nene River.
Emsworth, located in Hampshire, has reported that water levels in the West Brook area are “high and increasing quickly,” with forecasts predicting heavy rainfall of nearly 40mm.
Residents are advised to implement flood safety measures and be prepared until Thursday morning.
Currently, there are 160 flood warnings issued across England, indicating that flooding could occur, along with three in Wales.
The intense rain and high winds from Storm Bert this past weekend resulted in at least five fatalities, causing significant disruptions to homes, roads, and train services.
Numerous communities are still recovering as they deal with the aftermath of homes and businesses being overwhelmed by floodwaters.
Conall is the third storm of the season to be officially named, following Ashley and Bert.
The Dutch Weather Service designated the name for the storm, collaborating with the Met Office in the UK and Met Eireann in Ireland to name storms for clearer communication.
The storms list, which first appeared in 2015, typically spans from the beginning of September to the end of August the following year, aligning with the start of autumn.
