UK weather: Rescues and evacuations after widespread flooding – as party boat sinks in Thames
Swathes of 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.
A major incident has been declared in Nottinghamshire due to rising water levels along the River Trent – with officials telling residents who live in flood risk areas to be prepared to evacuate their homes.
Forecasts showed peaks along the River Trent could “come close to the highest levels on record from the year 2000”, Nottinghamshire County Council said.
Floodwater surrounds houses in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
In central London, a party boat sank in the Thames – with its owners saying the cause was likely “because of weather conditions”. The coastguard told Sky News that “everyone is accounted for”.
The Met Office’s yellow weather warning for rain across the South of England expired at 3am on Friday, but the Environment Agency says the impact of surface water and river flooding could be felt for several days.
Great Western Railway and South Western Railway have both told passengers that travel disruption is likely to continue into this morning’s rush hour as engineers grapple with flooded lines and landslips.
Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson says the forecast looks more settled as we head into the weekend, but it will be colder than recently.
She added: “Friday morning looks rather grey and blustery for eastern Britain, with outbreaks of rain, most persistent across eastern Scotland.
“Elsewhere, it will be mainly dry, with sunny spells, but there will be a scattering of showers. The weekend also looks mainly dry, with just isolated showers.”
Check out the latest weather forecast where you are
The highest rainfall totals recorded on Thursday were 35.2mm at Otterbourne in Hampshire, with a wide range of 20mm to 30mm across much of the southern counties of England.
It comes just days after disruption caused by strong winds and rain from Storm Henk, which has left the ground saturated and more prone to flooding.
Late last night, 10 fire engines and about 70 firefighters were called to a big flood in east London.
Several people were evacuated from buildings after a canal burst its banks in Hackney Wick.
Flooding in Hackney Wick. Pic: @LondonFire
Other key developments:
• Tewkesbury experiences worst flooding since 2007
• Cows drown in flooded field in Derbyshire
• Police force referred to watchdog after woman dies after hitting fallen tree
• People stranded in their homes in Shrewsbury
Follow live: Flooding across England as county declares major incident
A view of Worcester city centre flooded by the River Severn
Urging people to be prepared to evacuate due to the flooding, Nottinghamshire County Council said in its statement: “Key tributaries which feed in to the River Trent, including the River Derwent, the River Soar and the River Dove, have already reached their peaks and high water levels will now pass down the Trent, which is likely to lead to the flooding to properties and roads.
“Residents who live in the flood risk areas are being asked to ensure they have preparations in place in case they are asked to evacuate. Councils, emergency services and the Environment Agency have been providing emergency support to communities impacted and will continue to provide support across the county.”
It comes as a man stranded on his shed roof by floodwater in Nottinghamshire was rescued by a fire crew who used a boat to bring him safely to land.
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Man rescued from shed roof in Nottinghamshire
A view of flooding around the River Arun in Pulborough, West Sussex
‘Outside their front doors it’s like a river’
Meanwhile, several residents of Radcliffe Residential Park, an estate of static caravans for the over-55s just to the east of Nottingham in the East Midlands, had to be evacuated due to high water levels.
Laurie Walker, chairman of Radcliffe Park 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.”
A flooded residential street in Loughborough, Leicestershire
A flooded house in Loughborough, Leicestershire
Pub landlord in tears after business floods
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, has said he broke down in tears after “evil” floodwaters devastated his pub.
He said the water was up to his chest when he entered the pub close to the River Severn.
The Boat Inn which flooded in Shropshire
Police refers itself to watchdog after woman’s death
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.
Eyewitness: Fears for vulnerable people as flooding hits market town
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.”
Google is set to invest £5bn in the UK in the next two years, to support growing demands for AI services.
The announcement, which comes as Google opens a new data centre in Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, is expected to contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs, the US tech giant said.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves described it as a “vote of confidence” in the UK economy.
The news comes hours before Donald Trump lands in the UK for a state visit at which he and Sir Keir Starmer are widely expected to sign a new UK-US tech deal.
It also follows reports that ChatGPT parent firm OpenAI, and Nvidia, will also unveil billions of dollars’ worth of investment into UK data centres this week.
The chancellor said the investment would boost research and development, capital expenditure and engineering.
However, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has criticised the proposed deal as a “Silicon Valley stitch-up”, and has demanded that the government put it to a vote in parliament.
He said: “I am really concerned the government is going to agree to a Silicon Valley stitch-up that hands tax cuts to tech billionaires while undermining protections for our children online.”
Sir Ed added: “Parents want protections for children online to be kept in place, not traded away in a backroom deal with tech barons.
“We can’t let the government sign up to a deal that benefits Elon Musk at the expense of the British people.”
Sir Ed Davey
Read more:
What Elon Musk told crowds in London via video link
Google has confirmed it will invest £5bn into capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering over the next two years, which will include “pioneering” AI research in science and healthcare through its DeepMind operation.
The Silicon Valley firm said the investment will help the UK grow its AI economy and contribute to technological breakthroughs, improvements in cybersecurity and job creation.
Google predicted the investment will help to create 8,250 jobs annually at UK businesses.
DeepMind co-founder and chief executive Demis Hassabis said: “We founded DeepMind in London because we knew the UK had the potential and talent to be a global hub for pioneering AI.
“The UK has a rich history of being at the forefront of technology – from Lovelace to Babbage to Turing – so it’s fitting that we’re continuing that legacy by investing in the next wave of innovation and scientific discovery in the UK.”
There has been no expense spared for the UK’s biggest security operation since the King’s coronation.
This time the occasion is both royal and presidential. It is vast and honestly feels, well, American.
The operation has been led by Thames Valley Police, but officers from across the UK will also play a part in the visit.
Windsor is a sea of fluorescent yellow jackets and black and white flat caps. Officers are swarming the town and over the next couple of days will be sending drones into crowds, conducting boat patrols and deploying mounted units in and around the wider area.
Authorities have planned for every eventuality but would not expand on whether the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk had led them to heighten security measures.
Officers patrolling the River Thames
Police on horses in Windsor. Pic: Reuters
The assassination of the US activist may have intensified consideration about potential threats, but authorities have had extensive security plans in the works for months.
Operational firearms commander Sergeant Dan Hatfield explained that the police presence will be heightened – and every plan has been worked on in conjunction with the Secret Service.
“The residents of Windsor and visitors to Windsor are used to seeing a fairly high police presence, including armed police,” Sgt Hatfield said.
“However, for this state visit, they will see an increase in those numbers. Fortunately, I’ve had experience working with the Americans with all the Secret Service. We have a really good working relationship and work fairly harmoniously together to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
A member of the Blues and Royals prepares for a first ride-out ahead of rehearsals for the state visit. Pic: PA
Whether in the air, on the ground or on the water, safety is paramount.
On a visit with the Thames Valley marine unit, Sky News witnessed what their 24-hour patrol of the waterways would look like.
A section of the River Thames that borders the Castle will be closed off during the visit.
Sergeant Lyn Smith, head of the joint operations marine unit between the Thames Valley and Hampshire forces, said this is the biggest event she has worked on.
“The team is highly trained, we are ready for anything that will happen on or around the water,” she said.
“The marine support unit are going to be doing high visibility patrols, some searching, some specialist searching in and around the area, and working with our partners in the Environment Agency to deliver a safe event.
“Similar to President Macron’s state visit, we are still providing capability on the water, it’s just on a larger scale for us.”
Police dog Jack, from Thames Valley Police, has been carrying out security searches. Pic: PA
Security fences along the Long Walk near Windsor Castle. Pic: Reuters
Read more:
What we know about Trump’s state visit
What Trump’s second state visit really means
Notably, for the first time in any state visit or royal occasion, the section of the Long Walk leading up to the castle has been cordoned off with large white barricades erected to shield the residence from view.
Airspace over the town is also restricted for the duration of the visit, enforced using police drones and helicopters.
Vehicles will be standing by close to patrol officers on the ground, holding their ballistic helmets, ballistic vests and shields if an incident occurs.
Thousands of protesters plan to descend on Windsor and central London during the visit to demonstrate against the president’s trip.
A rally in central London on Wednesday is expected to draw the largest crowd, but protesters from the Stop Trump Coalition have now confirmed plans for a Tuesday event too.
A royal welcome may not be extended by all – but many will be hoping they won’t drown out the pomp for the president.
An emergency debate will take place in parliament today over Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as his ambassador to the US.
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has agreed to allot three hours for questions about what the government, and particular the prime minister, knew and didn’t know about the depth of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Mandelson was appointed in January 2025 to the UK’s most senior overseas diplomatic position – the ambassador to the US.
He had always admitted to having known Epstein, but last week the US Congress unveiled the contents of a 50th “birthday book” which revealed a much closer relationship.
Among the tributes to Epstein in it, Lord Mandelson had described him as “my best pal”.
A picture of Epstein and Mandelson together in the ‘birthday book’ released by the US Congress. Pics: US House Oversight Committee
Then, emails published by The Sun and Bloomberg were even more damning, showing the former Labour minister sympathising with the convicted sex trafficker, saying: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened.”
Lord Mandelson was removed from his ambassadorial post on Thursday, but not before Sir Keir had defended him at PMQs the day before. He has come under fire over his handling of the issue.
I’m ‘angry’, says PM
On Monday, in his first remarks about the sacking, the embattled prime minister – who earlier this month lost his deputy Angela Rayner to a tax affairs scandal – insisted he would have “never appointed” Lord Mandelson if he’d known then what he knows now.
He told Channel 4 News he was “angry” to have ended up in a situation where he pivoted from defending him to sacking him within 24 hours, suggesting he was unaware of the “detailed allegations” before PMQs.
But questions remain about what exactly the PM – or the vetting team – knew, and the government has declined to release the details of the procedure Lord Mandelson underwent before he was appointed.
The Conservatives hope to use today’s emergency debate to increase pressure on the government to publish all the information – just hours before Donald Trump lands in the UK for a state visit.
The US president is himself embroiled in questions about his own relationship with the disgraced billionaire.
Analysis: No state visit has had a backdrop quite like this
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has granted the emergency debate. Pic: PA
Sir Keir was also hit by the resignation of Number 10’s director of strategy, Paul Ovenden, on Monday. He quit after it emerged he’d sent sexually explicit messages about independent MP Diane Abbott.
It’s all added up to a rotten start to the new parliamentary term for the prime minister, who just two weeks ago confidently declared “phase two” of his government was now under way.
He’s ruled out resigning, despite discontent on his backbenches and Reform UK’s sustained lead in the polls.
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Former PM Gordon Brown rallied to Sir Keir’s defence
But former prime minister Gordon Brown has come to Sir Keir’s defence.
Speaking to Sky News, he said he expected the PM to be “completely exonerated” over the Mandelson scandal.
Mr Brown, the last Labour PM before Sir Keir, said he didn’t want to criticise his judgement because he faces “very difficult decisions”.
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