UK flooding: Streets submerged after torrential rain
17 August 2020, 22:05
Streets flooded in Barnstaple
Parts of the Uk have been left submerged under water after torrential rain lashed down.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said more than 60 calls had been made asking for help in Barnstaple as the flood waters rose to 3ft in some areas.
Local police have advised drivers avoid the areas, although pictures posted on social media showed some cars abandoned in the rising water levels.
Large parts of the UK have also been told they are at risk of further flooding, with The Environment Agency has issuing a number of alerts for parts of the Midlands around Birmingham.
One flood warning, which means flooding is expected, was issued on Monday afternoon for the Eastwood Brook and Prittlewell Brook in the Southend area after intense rainfall caused river levels to rise.
Ben Lukey, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Localised surface water flooding may affect individual properties and cause travel disruption across parts of England today, with minor surface water flooding possible into Tuesday.
"River flooding may also occur in urban areas or from small watercourses reacting quickly to heavy rain."
It comes after visitors were told to avoid Sheringham beach in Norfolk after storm water began overflowing on to the beach on Sunday.
"We are aware of storm water overflow on the beach in Sheringham and are working with Anglian Water and RNLI Lifeguards," North Norfolk District Council tweeted.
"We ask that you avoid accessing the beach in the area at this time."
Roads were closed in the area due to bad weather, while Norfolk Police warned of "very poor" driving conditions on the A11 on Sunday evening due to flooding and heavy rain.
We are dealing with dozens of calls to flooding in Barnstaple town centre. We are going to the most urgent calls first but will get to you as soon as we can. Do not drive through floodwater and never wade through water. More advice is on our website: https://t.co/FwufO0Ziuu pic.twitter.com/LlkqwNEJCR
— Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (@DSFireUpdates) August 17, 2020
Amid unsettled conditions, a huge funnel cloud appeared over the Bristol Channel, which appeared to create a spray from the sea and was visible for around 15 minutes, according to onlookers.
The M11 northbound was forced to close between Junction 7 and Junction 8 at Stansted due to severe flooding.
Elsewhere, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Twitter that it had removed approximately 8,000 litres of flood water from the basement of Wellingborough Museum.
Following a series of weather warnings for parts of the UK, a yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued covering a large area of Scotland for Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy showers could lead to properties being flooded, while there is a chance roads could be closed due to rain lashing the area, the Met Office said.
