UK weather: Hundreds of flood warnings in place as cold weather alert issued

Published

10 months ago

January 5, 2024

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The Midlands and the south of England have been hit by widespread flooding after heavy rain fell on saturated ground and caused rivers to swell.

As of Friday at 5pm, 250 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – were in place in England, as well as two in Wales.

There were also 269 flood alerts – suggesting flooding is possible, while the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned of a coming cold snap.

Weather latest: Ice and frost warning as health alert issued

Nottinghamshire has seen 64% of its average January rainfall in just four days due to rising water on the River Trent.

People in some areas have been told to be ready to evacuate as Nottinghamshire Council said river peaks could “come close to the highest levels on record from the year 2000”.

Environment Agency data shows almost every river in England is exceptionally high, with some at their highest flow on record, such as the River Itchen in Southampton.

A party boat sank in the Thames in central London, with its owners saying it was likely “because of weather conditions”.

Check the weather forecast where you are

Train journeys are also likely to be affected, with South Western disrupted across its entire network on Friday and major issues on its west of England routes.

Great Western also apologised for “significant disruption” after flooding and a serious incident near Reading “involved police taking control of the line”.

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said the weekend looks more settled – but it will be getting colder.

A UKHSA cold weather alert begins at 9am on Saturday until noon on Friday 12 January, with lower than average temperatures forecast in many areas.

It warns of an increase in risks to vulnerable people, with “significant impacts possible” in the health and social care sector.

Frosts are also set to be more widespread and ice “likely [to] be an issue for many”.

The Met Office said the cold snap would be caused by high pressure building over the UK into the next week.

Eyewitness: Fears for vulnerable as flooding hits town

Dan Whitehead

West of England and Wales correspondent

@danwnews

Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire is no stranger to floods – especially the residents of Abbey Terrace.

Properties all have pumps in their cellars and floodgates in their gardens.

But as firefighters evacuated vulnerable people from their homes, locals on the road told Sky News this is the worst they’ve seen it since 2007.

The Veal family were loading up possessions into a kayak.

Simon, a father, said: “We’re going to evacuate. The ground floor is no longer tenable. The sewerage system doesn’t work, it won’t be long before the water is polluted as well, the power will go out.

“The floors will have to come out. The plaster up to a metre will come off the walls, damaged furniture, the fridge, freezer, cooker, washing machine, tumble dryer. It’s everything.”

John and his wife Marion were being evacuated in a boat by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

“It’s worse than 2007,” John told me. “That was in the middle of summer, it was not as cold. That’ll be a problem for vulnerable people.”

The highest rain totals on Thursday were 44mm (1.57 inches) at Otterbourne in Hampshire, with 20mm to 30mm (0.78 – 1.18 inches) across many southern counties.

It came days after strong wind and rain from Storm Henk left ground saturated and more prone to flooding.

Late on Thursday, 10 fire engines and about 70 firefighters were called to a big flood in east London.

About 50 people were evacuated after a canal burst its banks in Hackney Wick, with 10 acres – roughly the size of eight football pitches – affected.

Other key developments:
• Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire has worst flooding since 2007
• Cows drown in flooded field in Derbyshire
• Police referred to watchdog after woman dies hitting fallen tree
• People stranded in their homes in Shrewsbury

Landlord in tears at ‘evil’ floods

Several residents of Radcliffe Residential Park, an estate of static caravans to the east of Nottingham, had to be evacuated due to high water levels.

Laurie Walker, chairman of the residents’ association, said: “I’ve had someone knock on my door to say the water is going to rise another 25cm.

“Outside their front doors, it’s like a river, I don’t know if the homes have been flooded.

“To come out of the park I’ve had to walk through somebody else’s garden to avoid the flood on the road. It’s the worst it’s ever been, I’ve been here seven years. It’s a mess.”

Parts of Worcestershire, the West Midlands, Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and West Sussex have also been flooded.

Mario Thomas, 65, landlord of The Boat Inn in Jackfield, Shropshire, said he broke down in tears after “evil” floodwaters devastated his pub.

He said the water was up to his chest.

Meanwhile, Thames Valley Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over the death of an 87-year-old woman in Oxfordshire who crashed into a tree.

The force said it received a report about the tree around 90 minutes before the collision.

UK

Man jailed for more than three years for loading illegal streaming services on to Amazon Fire Sticks

Published

3 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Man jailed for more than three years for loading illegal streaming services on to Amazon Fire Sticks

A 29-year-old man has been jailed for more than three years for loading illicit TV streaming services onto Amazon Fire Sticks.

Jonathan Edge, from Liverpool, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act.

He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, which included a separate concurrent sentence of two years and three months for accessing and viewing the content he was supplying.

Edge ran a service uploading illegal services to Fire Stick devices in return for cash-in-hand payments at his home, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

He used Facebook advertising and word-of-mouth recommendations to run his operation.

He ignored multiple warnings about the illegal activity, which were referenced by the judge and treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing.

The prosecution was undertaken by the Premier League and supported by several other organisations, including FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and Merseyside Police.

Kevin Plumb, Premier League general counsel, said: “The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions.

“We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual.”

Detective Sergeant Steve Frame from Merseyside Police said: “Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft and we welcome today’s sentence handed to Edge.

“Many people see no harm in illegally streaming TV services but they are wrong, and this outcome should serve as a further warning how seriously such copyright theft continues to be taken.”

UK

Magic Circle on the hunt for first female member who tricked her way into society – to apologise to her

Published

3 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Magic Circle on the hunt for first female member who tricked her way into society - to apologise to her

The Magic Circle is on the hunt for its first female member – who deceived the group by disguising herself as a man to enter its ranks – so it can apologise to her.

Sophie Lloyd hid her true identity from the famous society of magicians for 18 months.

Dressing up as a young man, Ms Lloyd fooled both the examiners and the Circle’s council and even went out for a drink with them.

However, she was expelled when the deception was revealed and the group hasn’t heard from her since.

At the time Ms Lloyd joined, women weren’t allowed to join the Circle. But when the rules changed in October 1991, Ms Lloyd revealed her true identity and was promptly kicked out for deceiving the society.

But now the group is trying to track her down, so it can apologise.

President of the Magic Circle Marvin Berglas told Sky News: “Times have changed.

“Back in the day she caused the ultimate deception of fooling the magicians and the council which is quite something.

“We’re trying to welcome Sophie back because it’s such a great story.”

He added: “Being that she was such a pioneer we would love to find her, get her side of the story and honour her.”

Mr Berglas said magic wasn’t “an old boy’s club” anymore and that around 5% of its members were women.

It’s thought Ms Lloyd had been an actress, and her name might have been Sue Lloyd, he added.

It’s possible Ms Lloyd received training from magician Jenny Winstanley, who had wanted to be the first woman in the Magic Circle, but was, Mr Berglas said, likely too well known to enter in disguise.

Mr Berglas continued: “We know she was in the Coventry, Warwickshire, Leamington Spa area.

“We would like to apologise for our faux pas.”

UK

Actor Timothy West has died, aged 90

Published

3 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Actor Timothy West has died peacefully in his sleep aged 90, “with his friends and family at the end”.

He was known for many roles in television and the theatre, including popular soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Husband to 92-year-old Prunella Scales – who played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers – the pair travelled together on UK and overseas canals in the Channel 4 series Great Canal Journeys.

His children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, said in a statement issued by his agent: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.

“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly.

“We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”

He was the winner of an RTS television award for his lead role in Churchill And The Generals, released in 1979, according to imdb.com.

In his career, he played Winston Churchill three times, including in The Last Bastion (1984) and in Hiroshima (1995).

West was also nominated for best actor in the 1976 BAFTAs for his part as Edward VII in the historical drama.

Four years later, he was nominated in the same category for a number of roles, including as best actor in Crime And Punishment.

After a small part as Eric Babbage in Coronation Street in 2013, West appeared in 2014 for the first time as Stan Carter in EastEnders.

He also held other popular TV roles, such as in BBC comedy-drama Last Tango In Halifax.

In the long-running BBC comedy, Not Going Out, he played Geoffrey, the father of Lucy Adams, played by Sally Bretton.

In comedy-drama Brass, he was the ruthless self-made businessman Bradley Hardacre, playing the role from 1982 to 1984 before returning for a third series in 1990.

In 2019, the Bradford-born actor played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes, a recreation of three missing episodes of the BBC comedy Dad’s Army.

He was also a regular performer of Shakespeare, playing Lear in 2016 and 2002.