Weather forecast tracker live – UK floods to cause major power cuts as heavy rain washes away homes before snow arrives
Brits have been battered by torrential rain with nearly a FOOT of downpours expected in the coming days, as danger-to-life floods grip parts of the country.
On Thursday, around 500 homes were evacuated from the Scottish border town of Hawick, while in Cumbria, the River Cocker burst its banks.
Hours later, two road bridges were “washed away” in Dumfries and Galloway, as heavy rain and floods disrupted travel across southern Scotland and north west England.
A separate yellow warning of rain for south-west England was in place from 3pm on Thursday until 9am - while another warning in Wales lasts until 3pm today.
Read our flood tracker live blog below for the latest alerts...
Risk of localised flooding, says Met Office
The weather agency tweeted: "Heavy rain continues to affect parts of the UK this afternoon.
"There are rain warnings for central and southern Scotland and NW England with a risk of localised flooding.
"Stay Weather Aware if you're travelling in these areas."
Flood forecast for the next 5 days
A statement on the Environment Agency website says: "Flooding is expected from rivers and surface water today (Friday) and just from rivers tomorrow (Saturday) in parts of Cumbria.
"Properties will flood and there will be travel disruption. Local flooding is probable from surface water and possible from rivers in parts of Wales and the west of England today and tomorrow.
"Local flooding is also probable from surface water and possible from rivers in the south of England and parts of the south of Wales on Sunday and also in parts of the north-west of England and north Wales on Sunday into Monday.
"Properties could flood and there could be travel disruption. Local flooding is possible from rivers in parts of the north of England on Sunday through to Tuesday. Local flooding is possible but not expected from rivers and surface water in parts of the south of England on Tuesday."
How to find the latest river, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels
There are around 3,500 measuring stations and most are along main rivers and the coast. These levels can help you understand your flood risk now and over the next few days.
If you live near water, the Environment Agerncy has a handy little that will give you the latest levels.
Find a river, sea, groundwater or rainfall level
Pictured: Drenched streets and piled-up sandbags in Dumfries
This picture shows sandbags near the River Nith in Dumfries, Scotland this morning.
It comes after the region around the Scottish border and north west England was hit by flooding caused by torrential downpours.
Around 500 homes were evacuated from the Scottish border town of Hawick, while in Cumbria, the River Cocker burst its banks.
Honister Pass saw a foot of rain in just 33 hours
Honister Pass in Cumbria has also seen an extraordinary 13 inches of rain – more than a foot – fall in just 33 hours.
Cumbria Police urged everyone in the county – including thousands of families on their half-term break – to only travel if necessary.
Some major roads have seen extensive flooding, including the A591 between Rydal and Grasmere.
One FOOT of downpours expected in coming days
Brits have been battered by torrential rain with nearly a FOOT of downpours expected in the coming days as danger-to-life floods grip parts of the country.
A total of five weather warnings are in place today – two of which are categorised as “severe.”
Persistent, heavy rain has led to flooding and disruption, and a danger to life warning has been issued as Brits are warned to stay away from fast-flowing or deep floodwater.
Trains and bus services are expected to be delayed and cancelled – while some communities will be cut off by the floodwater.
Two bridges ‘washed away by flooding’ yesterday
Two road bridges were yesterday “washed away” in Dumfries and Galloway just hours after torrential rain led to a major incident declaration in Hawick.
The conditions also led to the closure of schools and travel disruption in the south and west of Scotland.
And a landslide led to the closure of the B725 near Bankend about six miles (10km) from Dumfries.
Network Rail confirmed the extreme weather had forced the closure of the line between Dumfries and Carlisle until further notice.
It tweeted: “Two road bridges have been washed away on the river Annan, north of the railway. We’re unable to allow trains to pass over the Annan Viaduct pending a daylight safety inspection.”
More heavy rain forecast for central and SW Scotland tomorrow
Another period of heavy rain is expected to affect central and south-west Scotland from early on Saturday, the Met Office said, with 10-20mm predicted to fall quite widely across the warning area, much of this falling in only a few hours, and onto already wet or saturated ground.
Heavier rainfall of 30-40mm is possible across parts of Dumfries and Galloway, mainly on the hills, but rain will clear away eastwards later in the morning.
Cumbria council worked overnight to assess and inspect roads & bridges
Cumbria County Council said around a dozen roads were closed but workers had been working overnight to assess roads and inspect bridge closures.
Farther north over the border, Network Rail Scotland said that with extremely heavy rain forecast across Scotland on Friday, speed restrictions have been put in place, causing disruption on the West Coast Mainline between Glasgow and Carlisle.
Two road bridges spanning the River Annan, had been washed away north of the railway with trains unable to pass over a viaduct, closing the Dumfries to Carlisle line until further notice, Network Rail Scotland said.
Met Office issues weather warning for Manchester and Lancashire
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for a huge area stretching from Manchester, across Lancashire and Cumbria and up to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland, with heavy rain and some disruption possible due to flooding on Friday.
Another period of heavy rain is expected to affect central and south-west Scotland from early on Saturday, the Met Office said, with 10-20mm predicted to fall quite widely across the warning area, much of this falling in only a few hours, and onto already wet or saturated ground.
Heavier rainfall of 30-40mm is possible across parts of Dumfries and Galloway, mainly on the hills, but rain will clear away eastwards later in the morning.
Flood defences stopped damage getting worse
Andy Brown, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency, said but for flood defences the flood damage could have been worse.
He told BBC Radio Cumbria: "Those defences can't protect us 100% of the time and many people sadly in Cumbria well know, whether you be in Keswick or Carlisle or a number of other places, there will come a point when those defences will be over-topped.
"I'm very grateful today that many thousands of properties avoided being flooded because of those magnificent flood defences."
Clear up underway but more rain on way for flooded areas
Rain-lashed towns and villages are beginning a clear-up after floods hit Cumbria and southern Scotland, with more rain on the way.
Two bridges were washed away, around 40 properties flooded, homes evacuated and roads and rail transport all disrupted following very heavy downpours on Thursday and into Friday.
Cockermouth Mountain Rescue in Cumbria also had to rescue two tourists and their dog from chest-high floodwater in Southwaite Mill, Cumbria, on Thursday.
While the rain has eased, 17 flood warnings and 17 flood alerts remain in place and more autumnal weather is forecast, though rivers are believed to be "levelling out".
No reports of flooding were received overnight.
Potential risk to life and property, travel disruption and power cuts
An amber Met Office warning for rain – indicating potential risk to life and property, travel disruption and power cuts – is in force for much of Cumbria on Thursday.
“In a 24-hour period you could see a month’s worth of rain,” said Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth on Wednesday night.
A less serious yellow rain warning extends into Lancashire, parts of Yorkshire, southern Scotland and most of Wales.
Explained: What does life-threatening flooding mean?
It means persistent, heavy rain leading to flooding and disruption.
People could also expect:
- Homes and businesses flooded and damage to some buildings
- Danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater
- Delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- Spray and flooding leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- Some communities cut off by flooded roads
- Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
Pictured: Cylcist wades throuhg knee deep waters in Cumbria
A man is pictured carrying his bike through knew deep floodwaters in Cumbria.
It comes after parts of the region saw over 350mm of rain in just 38 hours.
The A592 near Windermere was also pictured with abandoned cars scattered all over the road as emergency services arrived to rescue the stranded motorists.
Environment Agency warns motorists: ‘Don’t risk driving through floodwater’
England’s Environment Agency has told drivers“don’t risk driving through floodwater”.
It wrote on Twitter: “It’s deeper than it looks, and just 30cm of water can float your car.”
In Glasgow, videos posted on social media showed cars stranded in water which swamped city streets.
The Environment Agency warned people in Cumbria to remain vigilant due to the continued risk of significant flooding over the weekend. It said 40 properties have already been flooded.
New yellow weather warning in place
A further warnings has been issued for heavy rain in Scotland, north west England and North Wales.
The new yellow weather warning comes into force from 3am on Sunday and will finish on Monday a 6am.
It comes as the UK battens down for five days of extreme weather.
More information in the Met Office tweet below.
Get home insurance
Kate Devine, home insurance spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket said: “It is always important to have a home insurance policy in place, but particularly if your home is at risk of flooding.
"Insurers cannot refuse cover for homes that are in flood risk areas, as long as the government still fund local flood defences."
Take the time now to check if your home insurance policy covers the cost of any restoration and repairs to contents and homes in the event of a flood and if not it might be worth investing, especially if you live in a high risk area.
Kate also explained to The Sun that trying to scoot your insurance along on the cheapest possible deal may not provide the right cover for what you need - you can still opt for a low costs but make sure you're not missing out on protections.
She also said: "If your home is damaged by floods, it may be worth considering whether or not to claim on your building insurance, if the flood damage is only mild... Covering the repair costs yourself, where possible, can keep your no-claims bonus whilst avoiding paying any excess.
"In the future, this may also help keep your premium costs to a minimum. If your insurance provider offers flood insurance as part of the Flood Re scheme, then you will need to pay a £250 excess fee to cover any loss or damage claims that are caused."
What to expect from an amber warning
Persistent, heavy rain could lead to flooding and disruption.
According to the Met Office there is a risk of the following:
- Homes and businesses flooded and damage to some buildings
- Danger to life from fast flowing or deep floodwater
- Delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- Spray and flooding leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- Some communities cut off by flooded roads
- Power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
Nine things you should do to protect your home
FLOOD damage can be a costly affair in your home, but mother nature isn't going to be the one worrying about the value of your belongings.
Flooding, and nearly a foot of downpours are expected in the coming days, so it's a good idea to get clued up on preventative and money-saving measures for the sake of your belongings.
latest flood mapping data shows that one in five homes are currently at risk of at least one type of flooding.
Read more on our tips here.
But there are a number of things you can do before and after a flood to make sure you're not forking out too much on the post-damage control.
Environment Agency flood manager tells Lake District residents to 'stay alert'
Ben Lukey, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Working with our partners in local resilience forums, teams have been out on the ground clearing waste grilles and screens, and stand ready to operate flood defences if needed.
"They are also ready to support local authorities in their response to surface water flooding.
“We are urging residents and visitors, especially holidaymakers in the Lake District, to stay alert and check their flood risk."
Bad weather could taper off this evening
His colleague Paul Gundersen said the poor weather will begin to taper off at long last this evening.
“The rain is likely to become more showery and less persistent, albeit still heavy at times, during Thursday night and perhaps Friday morning, with a separate warning still in force at that time," he said.
“These amounts of rainfall present a real threat of flooding and people should keep a close eye on flood warnings from the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and SEPA.
"There may be some disruption to transport, with some difficult driving conditions and possible road closures. Stay up to date with the forecast in your area on the Met Office website or via our mobile app.”
Met Office says rainfall exceptional for this time of year
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said the rainfall is unusually severe.
"These are exceptional rainfall totals for even the wettest part of the UK, which is Cumbria on average, and for the wettest part of the year," he said.
Glasgow hit by weather bomb days before COP26
Glasgow has also been hit by the weather bomb - just three days before the city hosts world leaders at COP26.
Motorists have been stranded in floodwater, while other drivers have abandoned their cars on central reservations to escape the worst of the damage.
Five weather warnings were in place yesterday - two of which were classed as 'severe'.
One amber warning was in place for south-west Scotland until this morning, while a second covering Cumbria, much of Wales and Lancashire is in force until midnight.