UK weather: Met Office amber warning for heavy rain in force for millions in England
An amber weather warning is in force for millions of people across the UK – with parts of the country dealing with flash floods after some areas saw more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
The warning for heavy rain came into force at around 8:15am and will remain in place until 9pm, sweeping over Bath, Oxford, Reading and Milton Keynes.
The Met Office originally issued an amber warning covering Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Hull before updating its advice.
A larger but less severe yellow rain warning is also in place until midnight covering the North East, the Midlands, the South East, much of the southern tip of England and eastern Wales.
Heavy rainfall has already seen parts of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and London submerged – causing widespread travel disruption and damage to properties.
Follow live weather updates: UK on alert for ‘significant flooding’
Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey has said Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and up towards the Wash and the Humber could see over a month’s worth of rain falling on Monday. Many places could see between 60mm and 80mm (2.36in and 3.15in) – with up to 120mm (4.72in) possible in a few locations, according to the Met Office.
People in Kent and Sussex woke up to rail disruption this morning due to flooding on the Hayes and Hastings lines.
The flooding, caused by overnight rainfall, has impacted signalling kit – the railway’s traffic lights.
The amber and yellow warnings in place in the UK. Pic: Met Office
The scene on one road in Dunstable at the weekend. Pic: Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue
A man from Northamptonshire has described the moment he saw a “wave of water” heading towards him during flooding on Sunday night.
Tim Maher and his partner Carol Findon, from Grendon, saw their two-storey home partially submerged overnight with more than a foot of water.
A tractor pulling a vehicle which is stuck in flood water in Grendon, Northamptonshire. Pic: PA
Flooding in Perry Barry, Birmingham. Pic: PA
Mr Maher said: “We’ve had some damage to the carpets, settees and other furniture. The most difficult bit will be drying out the structure.
“We haven’t had much sleep and at least eight houses on our road have been impacted. It would be nice to get a permanent solution to this problem.”
Tim Maher looking out of the window of his flooded house in Grendon, Northamptonshire. Pic: PA
Meanwhile, Newcastle and AFC Wimbledon’s Carabao Cup third-round meeting on Tuesday called off due to “extensive overnight flooding” at the London club’s stadium.
The Cherry Red Records Stadium in Wimbledon, which appears to have a sinkhole on the pitch, is closed as a result of the flooding. A rescheduled date for the Carabao Cup tie is yet to be confirmed.
Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA
It came as Woburn in Bedfordshire had about 108.8mm (4.29in) of rainfall overnight.
National Highways confirmed the A421 in Bedfordshire was closed in both directions between the A6 Bedford and the M1 J13 near Marston Moretaine due to flooding.
It came as Bedfordshire Police said it had closed off part of Dunstable High Street due to “substantial flooding”, with footage shared on social media showing cars battling high water around the Saracen’s Head pub.
The force has said it is aware of “multiple issues” caused by the weather and urged people to only contact them if “there is an immediate threat to life or crime in progress”.
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Flooding turns roads into rivers
“All emergency services and council teams are working as quickly as possible to help those affected but our priority will be the vulnerable,” it said.
“Please stay clear of flooded roads and affected areas.”
See the Sky News forecast for your area
A flooded road in Dagnall, Buckinghamshire
Drivers faced wet weather on the M3 motorway near Basingstoke on Friday. Pic: PA
The Met Office said some areas were at particular risk because the land is already sodden from storms in recent days.
Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson has 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.
As of 9am on Monday, 17 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – were issued for England by the Environment Agency.
Areas affected by the flood warnings include Atherstone in Warwickshire, Leighton Buzzard and Luton in Bedfordshire and parts of London including Wimbledon and South Ruislip.
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Environment Agency flood duty manager Sarah Cook 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.
“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and ready to support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.”
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 the season as beginning on 1 September.
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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