Isle of Man residents trapped in homes as storms continue
Heavy downpours have caused flash flooding across the UK and left residents trapped in their homes on the Isle of Man, where a major incident was declared after a river burst its banks.
While Wednesday was expected to bring a day’s respite from the rain, forecasters predicted the deluge would continue on Thursday and Friday, when the remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo – the most powerful ever recorded in the far-east Atlantic – tracks over the UK.
The heaviest rainfall on Tuesday was in Pennerley, Shropshire, where the highest hourly rainfall figure was 25.6mm. The figure, recorded in the afternoon, represented more than a quarter of the average rainfall for that part of the country in October. It was also more than double the country’s second highest total on Tuesday; the 11.6mm recorded at Coton in the Elms, in Derbyshire.
A Met Office spokeswoman said the thundery downpours were so localised that it was likely higher totals fell in areas not covered by a weather station.
Flash flooding occurred in a number of areas, including on the M42 motorway at Coleshill, in Warwickshire.
Further north, train services continued to be affected after days of heavy rain, while a major incident on the Isle of Man, a crown dependency, was declared near the village of Laxey, where flooding washed away cars and trapped people in houses.
A helicopter was brought in on standby to help people trapped close to the Laxey River in what one resident called “horrendous conditions”. Police called on people not to travel on the island as flooding and a landslide affected roads and two schools were closed.
By Tuesday afternoon, 30 flood warnings and more than 140 less severe flood alerts were in force in England. The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for Wales, southern England, East Anglia and the Midlands between 6am and 8pm on Tuesday for heavy showers and disruption caused by flooding.
Northern Rail said the Maryport to Carlisle line was badly affected, with replacement bus services operating in some sections. It said the line was blocked between Hexham and Carlisle following a reported landslip at Wetherall. There had also been flooding at Thackley, between Leeds and Carlisle.
“Delays and short-notice cancellations are likely across the region as rain continues to fall on already soaked ground,” a spokesman said.
Meteorologists predicted slow-moving clouds on Tuesday could end up causing rainfall totals of as much as 40mm to 50mm being recorded in a couple of hours in some places.
The Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said a day of fine weather on Wednesday would give way to further wind and rain as the remainder of Hurricane Lorenzo, which is currently near the Azores, hit the UK from later on Thursday.
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