Millions of Brits dealing with site visitors hell as Christmas journeys hit by torrential downpours
Winter is already a poor time for drivers due to bad weather conditions, but new figures from the Met Office has revealed some areas could be at risk of flooding this weekend
The UK is set for festive flood chaos this weekend when millions of cars are expected to hit the roads for a Christmas getaway. Dozens of flood warnings are in place along with 167 flood alerts across England.
The Met Office said the downpours could make conditions worse in areas already at risk of flooding. It comes as the AA predicted that 24.4 million cars hit the UK roads yesterday as schools close for the holidays.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said there will be “some showers towards the west in the morning and then a next weather front moves in… bringing some heavy rain by the afternoon and increasing winds.”
“Wet and windy in the west.” He added: “Heavy rain overnight Saturday into Sunday to areas where we don’t need more rain, south west England and south Wales in particular.
“The heaviest and most frequent showers will be south western parts and also eastern Scotland with northern England seeing some rain.” Elsewhere, flooding from a burst sewer main led to some rail services being axed in Hertfordshire until Christmas Eve.
Greater Anglia said water flooded the track, meaning trains will be unable to run between Broxbourne and Hertford East until Wednesday. A limited rail replacement bus service will operate but customers have been urged to consider using other stations or local bus services.
Greater Anglia said: “We apologise for the significant inconvenience caused to customers. The extensive impact of the ongoing flooding, the complexity of the task and time needed to stem the flow, the work then needed to clean up the affected area, and the subsequent repairs required to both rail infrastructure (track and signalling) and Rye House station, all mean it is expected to take another five days to complete the necessary work and reintroduce the normal service.”
Thames Water also apologised for the disruption. Meanwhile Dubai saw its worst rainfall in 76 years, as the city was struck by major floods, leaving streets filled with water and disrupting flights and ferry services.
Dramatic images of the desert oasis have seen entire streets plunged underwater as the UAE is left unequipped for torrential downpours much like how we have them back in Blighty. Police have since urged people to stay indoors due to the intense weather conditions, as the weather system passes through.
On Thursday (December 18), UAE law enforcement said: “For your safety, please remain cautious as unstable weather conditions are expected in the coming hours, and avoid going out unless it is absolutely necessary until midday on Friday.” Representatives from the local municipality have raced to get rid of the water as quickly as possible, but thousands remain affected due to poor drainage issues.
“At every location, Dubai Municipality teams stand in a state of high readiness, exerting continuous field efforts to address the impacts of weather fluctuations with speed and efficiency,” the authority wrote in a post on X. “From draining water pools to providing immediate responses to reports, the field operates without pause to safeguard everyone’s safety and ensure the smooth continuation of traffic across the emirate.”
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