UK weather: Met Office issues 185 warnings for flooding as M5 motorway closed and drivers abandon cars
More than 180 flood warnings and alerts are in place across England this morning after days of heavy rain – forcing the closure of a motorway as drivers abandoned their cars.
The Met Office said northern and central parts of England and Wales had been hit hardest, resulting in widespread travel disruption across Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands.
As of this morning, the Environment Agency had 66 flood warnings in place across England, meaning flooding is expected, and 119 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
A new yellow weather warning for strong winds was later issued for the south west of England and Wales on Sunday.
The yellow weather warning for strong winds on Sunday. Pic: Met Office
Disruption is likely as winds strengthen from west to east during Sunday, with gusts of 50-55 mph likely in places, exceeding 60mph in the most exposed areas.
The Met Office said this would be accompanied by outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, which could lead to some surface water and spray.
An earlier yellow rain warning for large parts of England and Wales ended at 9am this morning, with a separate amber warning for areas of the Midlands and south expiring at 6am.
Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said localised flooding would continue despite the warnings ending.
Check latest weather forecast where you are
He said: “A lot of these areas have been hit by rain in the past few weeks, which means the ground is already saturated.”
While the Met Office expects the weather to “ease up and become a bit drier”, some areas will still be dealing with the aftermath of the heavy rain.
“Rivers often take time to respond, so we’re expecting disruption to continue in central and southern parts throughout the morning. Those planning to travel on Friday should factor this into their journey times,” Mr Dewhurst said.
Commuters faced significant disruptions this morning, with heavy rain and flooding causing problems to roads and rail services.
Rail services between Shrewsbury in Shropshire and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands were cancelled, with disruption expected all morning, after severe flooding at Wellington station and a tree on the line.
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Images posted on social media showed tracks at a train station in Shropshire completely submerged and abandoned cars on an empty motorway in Gloucestershire.
Avon Fire and Rescue also said this morning that it was rescuing people stranded on the M5 in Gloucestershire, which remains closed northbound between junction 16 and junction 14 because of flooding.
The motorway had reopened southbound between J14 and J15, but hour-long delays and up to four miles of congestion were still expected in both directions.
One football club has appealed for help getting their grounds “straightened up and dried out” after heavy rainfall on Thursday evening.
Non-league team AFC Telford United in Shropshire posted photos and videos on social media of significant flooding at their pitch and gym facilities.
Councils and emergency services in Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire said several roads had to be closed but reassured residents they were working to keep people safe overnight.
Tewkesbury Borough Council, in Gloucestershire, has been handing out sandbags to residents to help protect their homes against flooding.
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The rain will ease this afternoon and is set to usher in much colder conditions on Saturday, the Met Office said.
Meanwhile, Oxford residents were subject to even stranger weather when a tornado-like feature was spotted in the sky on Thursday.
A funnel cloud seen outside Oxford on Thursday afternoon. Pic: Ana Cavey
The Met Office believes it is a funnel cloud, which can become a tornado if the bottom of the structure makes contact with the ground.
Pic: Ana Cavey
Several other funnel clouds have been reported to the Met Office in various locations this week, it said.
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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