UK weather: Heavy rain and flood warnings as UK set for ‘atrocious’ conditions this week
The UK is facing “atrocious” weather conditions with three yellow rain warnings issued for large parts of the nation.
Heavy downpours in Cornwall and Devon are expected to travel north-eastwards across England and Wales, before reaching Scotland’s east coast by Friday.
Up to 40mm of rain could fall in the South East, with the first yellow warning in place until 6am on Thursday, stretching east across the coastline from Southampton and the Isle of Wight in Hampshire to Kent.
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A second yellow warning has been issued for 24 hours from midnight on Thursday from Birmingham, Lincoln and Hull to north Wales, Liverpool and Manchester and northwards to the Scottish border.
The third warning is in place ahead of a two-day spell of “persistent” rainfall expected in the east coast of Scotland, from the English border to beyond Aberdeen, from 3pm on Thursday until 6pm on Friday.
Up to 70mm of rain could fall over high ground, with up to 100mm possible across the hills of Angus and Aberdeenshire, the Met Office said.
Strong gusts of wind are set to batter coastlines, while deluges bring an increased risk of flooding.
And the “miserable” conditions could be exacerbated by temperatures returning to their average for November, making frost more likely.
Western Britain is likely to bear the brunt of the icy weather, but sub-zero temperatures forecast for Friday night mean frost is expected to be more widespread.
Met Office spokesperson Craig Snell said: “The warning areas are where we are most concerned about the risk of flooding – but it doesn’t mean that the areas outside them are not going to see some pretty atrocious conditions.”
The Midlands and north of England will battle “pretty miserable” conditions on Thursday after the rain sweeps in overnight, Mr Snell added.
“The rain will be accompanied by a brisk wind, so it’s not going to feel good.”
Snow is also forecast in the Highlands, although this is not unusual for November, Mr Snell said, adding: “If you want to take a walk in the hills in Scotland tomorrow you may come across snow, but for the lower levels it is just going to be rain.”
Increased flood risk
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency (EA) issued 14 flood warnings in England – urging people water levels are rising quickly and to “act now”.
More than half a month’s rain, 47mm, has been recorded in the past 36 hours in the village of Iping near Chichester, West Sussex, where up to a further 30mm of rain is expected until the early hours of Thursday.
A map issued by the Environment Agency showing current flood warnings (red) and alerts (orange) in England.
A further 95 flood alerts have been issued across the country, across the south coast and in central and northern regions.
The EA said local flooding is “probable” from rivers and surface water in southeast England into Thursday, and “possible” across London and the South East.
There are three flood warnings and eight alerts in Scotland.
Motorists urged to ‘exercise great care’
Motorists will face challenging road conditions, meaning it is “vital” to slow down and take extra care, said RAC breakdown spokesman, Rod Dennis.
“The chances of being involved in a collision rise dramatically in wet weather, and even more so if there’s snow, so it’s vital drivers slow down, leave plenty of space behind the vehicle in front and use their lights to make sure they’re easily seen by other road users,” he said.
“The risk of aquaplaning, where a vehicle’s wheels lose contact with the road as they skim across standing water, will be high – particularly for those who don’t slow down to appropriate speeds for the conditions,” Mr Dennis warned.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
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