Hundreds of flood warnings nonetheless in place as ‘hazard to life’ Storm Chandra batters UK
Somerset declared a major incident on Tuesday evening after Storm Chandra brought heavy rain, with hundreds of flood warnings and alerts across the UK on Wednesday
Members of Slaney Search and Rescue working in floodwater in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts remain in force after Storm Chandra unleashed torrential downpours across the nation. Somerset Council declared a major incident on Tuesday evening, warning that flood risks on the Somerset Levels and Moors “remains high as rainwater moves through the system”.
By Wednesday morning, England was facing 99 flood warnings – indicating flooding is expected – alongside 260 flood alerts where flooding is possible. Wales had three flood warnings and 16 flood alerts active, whilst Scotland was dealing with eight flood warnings and eight flood alerts.
Northern Ireland’s Katesbridge was battered by 103mm of rainfall on Tuesday, the Met Office confirmed.
Yellow weather warnings for ice have been issued for Wednesday morning, covering large swathes of England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and southern and central Scotland.
A yellow weather warning for rain is also active for south-west England on Thursday, with the Met Office cautioning that additional rainfall could trigger further flooding and travel chaos.
Somerset Council revealed on Tuesday evening that approximately 50 properties have been hit by flooding across Ilminster, West Coker, Taunton, Mudford and West Camel.
Council leader Bill Revans stated: “The decision to declare a major incident at this stage means we are well placed to respond to this ongoing situation.
“Storm Chandra dumped more than 50mm of rain on parts of Somerset last night, exacerbating the situation on already waterlogged land, leading to widespread disruption.
“Please refrain from travelling if possible and never attempt to drive through flood water.
“The weather forecast continues to be challenging, so we will be collaborating with our colleagues in the emergency services to ensure we are ready should the situation worsen.”
Photographs taken by Press Association photographers across the UK and Ireland depicted search and rescue workers in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, vehicles navigating flooded roads in Kent, and snowfall in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham.
Firefighters in Devon and Somerset rescued individuals from 25 vehicles trapped in floodwater on Tuesday morning.
A representative for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirmed there were no casualties.
Axminster Fire Station shared images of several vehicles stranded in floodwater on Facebook.
Numerous road closures due to flooding were reported across south-west England, including the A30 in Devon between the B3174/B3180 junctions near Ottery St Mary and the B3184 for Exeter Airport.
The M5 southbound between Cullompton and Exeter was shut on Wednesday morning due to flooding, as was the A303 in Somerset between the A3088 and A37 and the A1 south of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland.
In Scotland, the A82 north of Spean Bridge was shut down southbound due to fallen trees, while high-sided vehicles were barred from the Bridge of Orchy on the A82.
Storm Chandra also caused havoc in other parts of the South West, the south coast, and the north of England, as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Domestic flights serving Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, Leeds Bradford, London City, Manchester and Southampton airports were cancelled on Tuesday.
Great Western Railway urged passengers not to travel between Exeter St Davids and both Okehampton and Barnstaple, with services in Somerset and Cornwall called off on Wednesday.
ScotRail announced that speed restrictions were likely to stay in place on services between Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street until 10am on Wednesday, while National Rail alerted passengers to potential disruptions until Friday.
Storm Chandra is the latest storm to be named by the western Europe storm naming group list, which is shared between the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
