UK weather: Flash floods leave cars underwater as some areas see more than a month’s rainfall
Parts of the UK were struck by flash flooding after some areas saw more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
Heavy rain left parts of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and London submerged, flooding properties and causing widespread travel disruption.
At least 45 houses flooded across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Kent and the Home Counties, according to the Environment Agency.
The open boot of a submerged car on the A421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. Pic: PA
The A421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, was closed. Pic: PA
As of 7pm, 22 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, had been issued for England by the agency.
The A421 in Bedfordshire was closed in both directions between the A6 Bedford and M1 J13 near Marston Moretaine, according to National Highways, and the A5 in Buckinghamshire was closed northbound between the A421 Bletchley/Stadium MK and the A509 at Milton Keynes due to flooding.
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House flooded as heavy rain hits UK
Some schools in Bedfordshire were also closed, with an update on Central Bedfordshire Council’s website citing water ingress/flooding as being the reason for the closure.
The London Underground’s District Line was not running between Turnham Green and Richmond due to flooding caused by heavy rain, while other Tube lines in London were also partly suspended throughout the day.
A van in flood water on Hardwater Road near Wellingborough. Pic: PA
London Fire Brigade said its 999 control office took around 350 calls about flooding across the capital.
Firefighters attended incidents including rescuing people trapped in cars, assisting people from their homes and responding to flooding in underground stations, roadways, residences and commercial properties, in Ruislip, Uxbridge, Wimbledon and Carshalton.
Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA
AFC Wimbledon and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup third-round meeting on Tuesday has been called off due to “extensive overnight flooding” at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The Cherry Red Records Stadium in Wimbledon, which appeared to have a sinkhole in the pitch, has been closed as a result, with a rescheduled date for the tie yet to be confirmed.
The amber and yellow warnings in place in the UK. Pic: Met Office
A yellow alert for rain came into effect at midnight on Sunday and will last all day on Monday, covering parts of Wales, much of the south of England, the Midlands and spreading into northwest England and Yorkshire.
An amber warning came into force at 8.15am and will last until 9pm on Monday.
Initially it covered Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Hull, but an update from the Met Office said the warning area had shifted further south and southwest to include Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Buckinghamshire.
A tractor pulling a vehicle which is stuck in flood water in Grendon, Northamptonshire. Pic: PA
Flooding in Perry Barr, Birmingham. Pic: PA
Forecasters said there may be more warnings in the week ahead.
Environment Agency flood duty manager Sarah Cook said “persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms” could lead to some property flooding and travel disruption.
She said: “Persistent heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to significant surface water flooding on Monday across parts of England.
“The impacts could include localised flooding in urban areas and fast-responding catchments, including some property flooding as well as travel disruption. The risk from river flooding remains low.
“We urge people to plan their journeys carefully, follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.”
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Cars trapped in floodwater
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Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said parts of the South were hammered with nearly two months of heavy rainfall on Sunday.
Many places have basked in higher-than-average temperatures over the last few weeks – but that was probably summer’s last hurrah as autumn beds in.
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Monday’s downpours are forecast to ease overnight into Tuesday, but the rain is set to be persistent for many this week.
“Through Wednesday and Thursday, unsettled weather is set to return as frontal systems move in from the Atlantic, bringing showers or longer spells of rain to many parts of the UK,” said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Oliver.
Meanwhile, Sunday also marked the autumnal equinox – when the day and night are the same length.
Astronomers regard it as the start of the season but weather forecasters generally count autumn as beginning on 1 September.
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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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