Half a month’s rain in 24 hours floods UK as heatwave turns to washout

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning after half a month’s worth of rain fell in 24 hours across the country.

Forecasters said parts of the North West had seen 50mm of rain in 24 hours, with 52.2mm recorded between 11am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday at Greenfield near Oldham.

Meteorologist Helen Roberts said the monthly average rainfall for the North West in July was 89.5mm. She added: ‘This is a lot of rain to fall in the space of 24 hours, especially given the rain has been very consistent and there have been heavy bursts within it.’

The wet weather comes after Britain was hit by record-breaking hot temperatures and thunderstorms, with the heatwave causing problems for train and air passengers.

The Environment Agency has issued six flood warnings across the Midlands, North West, and east of England.

It urged people to avoid swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water.

The torrential downpours caused a Lamborghini to smash into a barrier on the M66. Police tweeted a picture of the wrecked car saying the driver ‘made off on foot’ before they discovered it on the M66.

The force said: ‘The driver of this Lamborghini lost control on standing water and took out a section of barrier before making off on foot prior to police arrival.

‘A very expensive mistake… They don’t make very good boats! Vehicle recovered and enquiries ongoing.’

Flooding was also reported on train tracks between Manchester Victoria and Southport, with rail users warned to expect delays.

But a Northern Rail spokesman said that while the flooding had been reported at about 8am the line was reopened about 10.30am.

Passengers using Gatwick Airport were warned to check the latest travel information before they fly due to the extreme weather conditions across Europe. 

On Sunday morning, Gatwick said: ‘We aim to run a normal schedule today, however due to ongoing adverse weather across Europe, passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information.’

Heading into next week, heavy showers and thunderstorms could return to parts of the UK on Monday and into Tuesday, while temperatures are likely to be back to normal for the time of year.

Source: Metro.co.uk