Flood alerts have been announced for areas across the UK following a night of intense thunderstorms. Early yesterday evening, a lightning strike turned a recycling plant into a massive fireball in Oxfordshire. Fire engines quickly rushed to the scene and thankfully no one was hurt in the incident. The storms had passed over the south by this morning but heavy rains and thunder have continued to hit northern west England and western Wales.
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The Met Office says that today we can expect ‘a day of sunshine and showers, the showers heaviest and most frequent towards the northwest’. The Environment Agency has issued 23 flood alerts, mainly in eastern England.The River Glaven is expected to flood today while alerts have been issued for the Thames, the Humber Estuary and the Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk coasts.
Unfortunately, more bad weather is yet to come as yellow weather warnings have been set for Wednesday to Friday. Find out here whether your area will be affected.
Weather warning for tomorrow to Friday
Storms are expected to move up to Scotland this week, hitting Glasgow before heading up the north west coast. Scots should prepare for heavy rain and potential road closures.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 3 October, will see terrible weather hit Glasgow, Stirling and surrounding areas. The ensuing ‘spray and flooding’ is likely to create difficult driving conditions. The Met Office added that ‘where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services’:
There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some building
There may also be power cuts in the affected areas. Thursday’s alert is set for 3pm until midnight and covers Glasgow again, as well as Edinburgh, Perth and the Scottish Highlands. The same areas will be impacted the next day, again from mid-afternoon to midnight.
How best to prepare
If you are experiencing extreme weather in your area, check whether your property is at risk. If it is, have a plan in mind for where to go - if it gets to that point - and prepare an emergency flood kit. If you have a car, park it on high grounds and store any valuables as high as you can in your home.
If you experience a power outage, turn off all appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended. Leave one light on so you know when the power comes back and check your neighbours are fine. You can always call 105 for more information - it is a free service for people in England, Scotland and Wales.
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Sources used:
The Irish Sun: WET AND WILD UK weather chaos: Brits lashed by heavy rain, lightning & flood warnings as they’re warned to brace for MORE on the way
Daily Mail: Flood alerts are issued across the country after thunderstorms which sparked lightning explosion at Oxfordshire recycling plant - but map shows a surge of warm air with highs of 75F coming in from Europe this weekend
