Severe weather advisories issued due to intense thunderstorms causing flooding across UK
Heavy Rain and Thunderstorms Cause Flood Alerts Across England and Wales
As the UK continues to experience inclement weather, several flood alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency (EA) and the Met Office.
Heavy rainfall has persisted across large parts of the country, with gusts of up to 45mph recorded on Wednesday afternoon. This weather has led to seven Environment Agency flood alerts, covering riverside areas in Devon and Haywards Heath in West Sussex.
On Thursday, minor surface water flooding is probable across parts of England, according to Dane Broomfield from the EA. While significant impacts are possible, they are not expected. Rush-hour commuters may experience delays, transport disruption, and difficult driving conditions due to the timings of the thunderstorms.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for severe weather, valid from 2 am to 5 pm on Thursday, covering most of England and Wales. This warning comes after Dowdeswell Reservoir in Gloucestershire saw around half its average monthly rainfall in just four hours.
Coastal sites in the rain warning area could see up to 80mm of rain, according to the Met Office. Some locations in the thunderstorm warning zone could see up to 30mm of rain in an hour, bringing a risk of surface water flooding.
The Met Office has warned that there is a chance of some heavy downpours, hail, thunder, strong gusty winds, and lightning during the thunderstorm warning on Thursday. The yellow Met Office warning for thunderstorms also spans the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire, and parts of Wales.
A yellow thunderstorm warning is in place from 2am to 5pm on Thursday for the majority of England and Wales. In addition, a yellow rain warning is in effect from 12pm to 9pm in north-east Scotland on Thursday.
Environment Agency teams will be on the ground and supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding on Thursday. The duty flood manager from the EA has urged people not to drive through flood water, as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float a car.
The Met Office advises people to stay indoors, avoid walking or driving through flood water, and to keep up to date with the latest weather updates. The EA encourages people to sign up for flood warnings and to prepare for potential flooding by moving valuable items to higher ground and checking their insurance policies.
