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.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
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.”
Oleksandr Usyk has become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Tyson Fury in boxing’s biggest fight of the century.
The Ukrainian won on a split decision following the match in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk had 115-112 and 114-113 on two cards, while Fury took the other 114-113.
Oleksandr Usyk lands a punch on Tyson Fury. Pic: PA
Fury disputed his loss after the match, saying: “I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few rounds but I won more of them.
“Make no mistake I won that fight and I’ll be back.”
In response Usyk said he was “ready for a rematch”.
Pic: Action Images via Reuters
Fury came under early pressure, with Usyk taking the centre of the ring with an aggressive offensive from the start.
At one point Fury was pushed against the ropes and started laughing as Usyk applied pressure.
The “Gypsy King” looked relaxed as he moved around the ring in the early rounds and picked his shots.
Pic: PA
Fury lunges at Usyk. Pic: PA
But after Usyk landed a right hook in the ninth round it looked as if Fury was in serious trouble. The Ukrainian followed up by unloading freely but somehow the bookmakers’ favourite stayed on his feet and was saved by the bell.
Last night, Fury weighed in at 262lbs (18st 10lbs) – nearly three stone heavier than Usyk, who clocked in at a career heaviest of 223lbs (15st 13lbs).
Fury refused to look at his opponent during a news conference on Thursday, but did not back down at the weigh-in last night, where the pair almost came to blows before being separated by their entourages.
Usyk arrived into the ring first, dressed as a Cossack warrior.
Fury entered to songs by Barry White and Bonnie Tyler, with the “Gypsy King” spending several minutes dancing on stage before the song changed to Holding Out For A Hero.
Anthony Joshua watched from the ringside, knowing he could meet the winner early next year.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
UK
Brixham: Warning ‘heads are going to roll’ after water parasite outbreak – as ‘nearly every house in one close has someone ill’
Thousands of homes have had their boiling water restrictions lifted after a water tank infected with cryptosporidium was drained and cleaned, South West Water has said.
About 16,000 households in the Brixham area of Devon were told to boil their drinking water following 46 confirmed cases of the disease.
On Saturday afternoon South West Water lifted the boiling restrictions for 14,500 homes after water quality monitoring results found no traces of cryptosporidium in the Alston supply area.
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a tiny parasite and can lead to vomiting, stomach cramps and watery diarrhoea lasting about two weeks.
More cases are expected to be confirmed due to a delay in developing symptoms – and about 100 more people around Brixham were reporting signs of it on Friday.
South West Water believes the parasite probably entered supplies through a damaged pipe in a field containing animal faeces.
A contaminated water tank at Hillhead reservoir, where cryptosporidium was detected, was drained overnight and “thoroughly cleaned” on Saturday, South West Water said.
One local resident said she knew of only four houses out of 21 in Raddicombe Close, on the outskirts of Brixham, which have not had at least one person fall ill with cryptosporidiosis.
The local MP has warned “heads are going to roll” over the incident.
Tory MP Anthony Mangnall, whose constituency includes Brixham, told LBC: “This is such a serious matter that yes, I think heads are going to roll over this.”
He claimed the supplier had been too slow to issue its safety alert.
16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
Mr Mangnall said: “From starting this week with a denial from South West Water that it was anything to do with them, delaying the fact that the boil water notice came in – meaning thousands of people used the water network – to then issuing it on Wednesday, and there are a lot of people who are very ill.”
He called it an “absolutely disastrous week” and said locals were furious.
South West Water has said it’s “deeply sorry” and that it’s been “working tirelessly” to identify the source of the problem and fix it.
Bottled water stations have been set up in the area.
Read more:
What we know about parasite found in drinking water
Parasite outbreak has ‘destroyed’ business
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of not doing enough to hold water companies to account.
He told Sky News the firms were “putting profit over the environment, over public health” after multiple cases of sewage being released into rivers and seas.
“We [Liberal Democrats] wouldn’t wait for fines for pollution,” Sir Ed said.
“There should be a sewage tax on the profits of these water companies so we can get the money now.
“There needs to be much tougher regulation… and we may need to look at restructuring the whole water industry.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Kelly Holmes joins anti-sewage protest
It comes as dozens of protests over sewage releases were planned for Saturday.
Surfers Against Sewage is promoting “paddle-out” demonstrations at 30 locations, with Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes among those at the event in Brighton.
The confirmed cases of a waterborne disease caused by a parasite have more than doubled.
There are now 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, a diarrhoeal illness, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said – with more than 100 further people reporting similar symptoms in the Brixham area.
Other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in residents and visitors to the south Devon town are also under investigation. Hundreds of locals have also reported feeling unwell over the last two weeks on social media.
MPs and South West Water officials have confirmed the parasite most likely entered water supplies through animal faeces, but an investigation is still ongoing.
What is cryptosporidiosis disease?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Cow faeces’ infected Devon water
The UKHSA first confirmed cases of the disease at around midday on Wednesday, while locals were initially told by South West Water that their tap water was uncontaminated and safe to drink.
But after testing supplies in the Hillhead reservoir, the water company found “small traces” of the parasite cryptosporidium – which causes cryptosporidiosis – and told residents in parts of Brixham and Alston to boil their drinking water on Wednesday.
A total of 16,000 households and businesses in Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North West Paignton were impacted and offered £15 compensation at first.
Over the next two days, South West Water apologised to those affected and increased the offer to £115. Amid the chaos, one primary school closed its doors on Thursday due to not having safe running drinking water.
16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
‘Very hard questions for water company’
Speaking to Sky News yesterday, South West Water’s chief customer officer Laura Flowerdew confirmed it was likely a broken air valve contaminated by animal faeces that had caused the outbreak.
However, she refused to give a timeframe on how long the incident would be ongoing – leaving thousands of residents facing an uncertain future.
Speaking on Friday at the University of Exeter, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said there will be “very, very hard questions” for South West Water over the outbreak.
“At the moment I think we probably need to give them the space to conduct their investigation; we know that they have identified the source,” she said.
“The public will want to know how on earth that source happened, what was the chain of events that led to this, because of course we all understand the expectation that we all have when we turn our taps on is that [we get] clean drinking water and we want to be able to trust it.”
Read more on Sky News:
Teacher guilty of sexual activity with a child
Teen had cardiac arrest after ‘spicy chip challenge’
Tom Brady vows to be ‘better parent’ after roast
Most cases of cryptosporidiosis pass in two weeks. Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. File pic: Dr_Microbe/iStock
‘Expect to see more cases’
Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall also warned the boil notice could last “at least a further six or seven days” and called for more transparency.
Professor Paul Hunter, a specialist in medical microbiology at the University of East Anglia, told Sky News if the parasite was “a continuous thing” present in water supplies for a prolonged period, then “you’d expect to see more cases” for another two weeks.
It comes as hotel owners in the area told Sky News the outbreak has led to people cancelling their stay, while a head chef said “I can’t wash salad in the sink”.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
‘Destroyed our business’
Stephen Colemansfield, owner of Redlands Guest House in Brixham, told Sky News the outbreak has “destroyed our business at the moment”.
“Our guests have cancelled because of the mixed messages that are being sent out by South West Water.”
Rob, head chef at the Steam Packet Inn in Kingswear near Dartmouth, also said his brother-in-law is one of the 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis and has been sick for two weeks.
The UKHSA is working with Torbay Council, South West Water, NHS Devon and the Environment Agency on the incident.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Environment12 months agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports1 month agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports7 months agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment1 year agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Environment1 year agoTesla advances Powerwall pilot project with German electric company