Britain is back on flood watch today as a new amber warning for heavy downpours was imposed after half a month’s worth of rain fell over the weekend.
Rail operators issued ‘do not travel’ alerts after flooding blocked lines across the UK and a slow-moving weather front brings persistent rain throughout the day.
South Wales will be worst hit by the continuing wet weather today while the 18-hour ‘danger to life’ amber warning is in place until 9pm with up to 100mm (4in) set to fall.
Yellow rain warnings have also been activated by the Met Office for South West and North West England, areas of the North East and parts of South and West Wales.
Some 150 flood alerts or warnings were issued, including seven Environment Agency warnings and 78 alerts for England – mostly in western parts of the country.
Elsewhere, Natural Resources Wales activated eight warnings and 41 alerts and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency imposed six warnings and ten alerts.
The Met Office said there was a ‘good chance’ that some communities in South Wales within the amber warning area ‘will be cut off by flooded roads’.
Forecasters added that homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings; while disruption to train and bus services is expected.
Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, while ‘power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses likely’.
Fast flowing or deep floodwater was also ‘likely, causing danger to life’ – with the ‘likelihood of impacts’ increased given recent wet weather and saturated ground.
Northern told all rail passengers that it was ‘strongly advising customers not to travel in Cumbria today’ due to severe rainfall over the weekend, which had resulted in seven routes being blocked with no trains or replacement buses running.
The impacted routes were between Carlisle and Whitehaven; Carlisle and Skipton; Corkickle and Barrow-in-Furness; Barrow-in-Furness and Preston; Windermere and Oxenholme; Carnforth and Skipton’ and Lancaster and Morecambe.
Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express both said services north of Preston were likely to be disrupted – including to Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Haymarket, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The heavy rain also caused major rail disruption in Wales, with flooding blocking lines between North Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog, and between Bridgend and Pyle.
ScotRail said speed restrictions had been imposed due to heavy rain between Glasgow Central and Largs, Androssan Harbour, Carlisle, Kilmarnock, Ayr and Stranraer; between Glasgow Queen Street and Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness; and between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh.
The Environment Agency urged motorists not to drive through flood water, saying it is ‘often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.’
Floods minister Emma Hardy said she was ‘co-ordinating with local authorities and emergency services to keep communities safe’.
The Met Office said yesterday that parts of Cumbria had seen more than 200mm of rain since midday on Saturday, which was around half a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
