Heavy rain warning with two-inch downpours due at this time after Storm Henk

Britons had been warned to count on additional flooding distress at this time after the Met Office expanded a heavy rain warning following main disruption from Storm Henk.

The alert was initially issued over southern England from Cornwall to Suffolk however then prolonged northwards to cowl Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. It runs from midday at this time till 3am tomorrow and warns of additional energy cuts and villages changing into lower off.

Meteorologists additionally warned of additional flooding to properties and companies, highway closures, troublesome driving circumstances and cancellations to coach and bus companies.

The London Fire Brigade additionally warned that elements of London ‘could expertise flash floods’ on account of the rain, ‘so ensure you know what to do in an emergency’.

Also at this time, Kew Gardens revealed six timber had been destroyed through the storm and would now be ‘mulched and added again’ to the attraction in South West London.

Officials stated they had been ‘unhappy to announce’ that the timber had been ‘misplaced’, however added that work by their ‘tree gang’ to keep up 14,000 timber averted a better complete. It comes as:

• The Met Office stated as much as 50mm (2in) if rain might fall within the worst-hit areas;
• Great Western Railway warned of additional disruption if excessive ranges of rain return;
• The UK Health Security Agency issued a chilly climate alert from this Saturday. 

The Environment Agency had 293 flood alerts and 270 warnings in place throughout England this morning – whereas Natural Resources Wales imposed 20 alerts, 4 warnings and one extreme warning for the River Ritec in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

Flooding continued to have an effect on rail companies at this time, with taxis changing Great Western Railway trains between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall in any case traces had been blocked.

All GWR traces had been additionally shut between Bristol Parkway and Swindon as a result of flooding, with companies between London Paddington and South Wales compelled to divert.

Diversions might add 40 minutes to passengers’ journeys, the prepare operator stated – including that passengers might count on additional disruption if excessive ranges of rain return. 

The Met Office stated heavy rain is predicted to maneuver northeast throughout southern and japanese elements of England all through this afternoon earlier than clearing in a single day.

While the monitor of the heaviest rainfall ‘stays very unsure’, as much as 30mm (1.2in) might fall in six to 9 hours, with some few locations presumably seeing 50mm (2in).

Chaos is more likely to be worsened due the bottom throughout the area presently being very moist, earlier than the climate turns drier, colder and extra settled into the weekend.

Overnight frosts will return as temperatures fall to -5C (23F) in northern England and -2C (28F) in southern areas by Sunday. The UK Health Security Agency has issued a chilly climate alert overlaying all of England from this Saturday till subsequent Tuesday.

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert stated: ‘The monitor of the heaviest rain stays unsure however there’s likelihood of 20 to 30mm of rain falling in a six to 9 hour interval for a portion of the warning space, with just a few locations seeing as a lot as 40 to 50mm.

‘Much of this rain is falling on already moist floor and due to this fact, impacts are extra probably. Meanwhile, a stalled climate entrance will proceed to deliver rain and showers throughout the northeast.’

It comes after Storm Henk introduced flooding and disruption to Britain as 94mph winds battered the Isle of Wight and houses had been evacuated.

Gloucestershire Constabulary stated a motorist in his 50s from the Bath space was killed by a falling tree, whereas driving close to Kemble, between Tetbury and Cirencester, on Tuesday.

In Northamptonshire, a number of residents had been evacuated from houseboats and caravans at Billing Aquadrome near the River Nene as a result of flooding.

Robert Britchford moved to the location in 2016 and estimated that about 2,000 individuals have been evacuated from their properties.

He stated: ‘It’s the second time in three years that it has flooded. I moved my automobiles out of the best way, and I assumed I’d try to wait it out, as a result of I assumed it could be good at this time, however no, the evacuation discover went out and that was it.

‘I’m a bit anxious. We felt it was coming, however we hoped it would not. Now now we have to search out lodges. They will not allow us to again on till that is all sorted, so it might be a month earlier than we come again on.’

Another vacation park in South Wales was flooded, with studies of uncooked sewage within the water.

Natural Resources Wales urged individuals at Kiln Park caravan web site close to Tenby to keep away from contact with the water and stated the River Ritec is more likely to stay excessive for a number of days.

Meanwhile, dozens of properties in Bottleacre Lane in Loughborough, Leicestershire, had been both breached or surrounded by floodwater, with some residents trapped of their properties.

The floor flooring of Ivan Fletcher’s property, the place he has lived for 16 years, was coated by a couple of foot of water, along with his possessions moved upstairs.

The father of 9, seven of whom reside at residence, moved six of his youngsters to a relative’s residence in Leicester, and one stayed within the property.

He stated: ‘I awoke this morning to this. There was water all over the place, and it’s got worse. There are bins all over the place, garbage, the children had been panicking, stress.

‘I moved my spouse and the children to Leicester along with her sister out of the best way, and I’ll keep right here with the cats, and my eldest daughter. It occurred about 12 years in the past nevertheless it was by no means this unhealthy. We had no warning in any respect.’

National Highways stated a number of main roads in England had been closed as a result of flooding and rail firms additionally reported disruption.

A falling tree injured a lady in Orpington, South East London, and others broken properties and blocked roads throughout the nation.

Raw sewage has spilled from a flooded therapy works in Surrey when the River Mole to burst its banks.

Pollution unfold over a public footpath past the fence of the unmanned Thames Water facility.

Heavy rain throughout southern England has led to the vast majority of Thames Water’s storm overflows discharging sewage into rivers and floor water.

It is probably going that different water firms are additionally discharging greater than normal, however solely Thames Water has printed a reside interactive map of its screens on rivers.

Simon Collins, of River Mole River Watch, stated the Horley therapy works close to Gatwick Airport has flooded 4 occasions since Storm Ciaran hit the UK in late October.

After the flood on Tuesday he examined the water pouring by means of the fence and located phosphate, a pollutant present in sewage, to be ‘off the dimensions’.

Thames Water has apologised for the air pollution and stated it has put in a short lived pump to clear the water whereas it upgrades the therapy plant in the long run.

The storm introduced gusts of 94mph at Needles on the Isle of Wight whereas Exeter Airport noticed winds of 81mph, and a household was left ‘uncovered to the weather’ greater than 400ft within the air when robust winds ‘ripped the hatch’ off their London Eye pod.

David Nock, 43, from Bournemouth, Dorset, stated that the Eye started ‘flexing’ on the best way up and that it stored stop-starting because it struggled with the wind on Tuesday.

The remark wheel got here to a complete halt and ‘wasn’t going wherever’ on the prime, he stated, leaving him and his household of 11 stranded for 5 minutes.

A spokesman for the London Eye stated that after an ‘remoted technical difficulty’, they ‘instantly ensured that friends safely disembarked’.

Several rail routes remained disrupted as a result of flooding, however some have reopened.

Yesterday, Greater Anglia stated at 7am that it was nonetheless experiencing ‘extreme disruption’, with ‘don’t journey’ warnings in place on routes in Norwich, Colchester, Peterborough and Cambridge. All traces reopened by 9am.

Great Northern Rail companies resumed between Cambridge and each Ely and King’s Lynn after work to restore broken overhead wires and take away a fallen tree.

National Highways stated the A21 in East Sussex was closed between the A2100 close to Johns Cross and the A28 close to Baldslow as a result of a fallen tree was resting on energy cables above the highway.

Flooding closed the A52 in Nottinghamshire westbound from the A46 at Saxondale to the A6011 at Gamston.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service stated it had acquired 140 flood-related calls in 24 hours whereas Leicestershire Police stated numerous properties had been affected by flooding in Loughborough.

The Environment Agency urged individuals to keep away from strolling close to coastal paths the place giant waves might drag them into the ocean.