September 23rd 2024.
Today in Berkshire, at Boulters Lock on Maidenhead Riverside, people can be seen walking under their umbrellas as a weather warning for heavy rain has been upgraded to a serious amber alert. This means that there is a high risk of communities being cut off and some properties facing imminent flooding. According to Met Office forecasters, certain areas may experience up to 120mm of rain on Monday alone, which is more than double the average for the entire month in Oxford.
In fact, the situation has become so severe that in one area, flooding of properties was deemed to be imminent. As a result, the government has issued a warning for people to quickly move their possessions and valuables off the ground or to a safe location. This includes moving family members, pets, and cars to safety. The maps below indicate the areas where people need to be particularly cautious, as there is a risk of lightning, power cuts, travel cancellations, difficult driving conditions, road closures, and damage to buildings. Some villages may even become completely waterlogged.
If you live in one of the areas covered by the amber alert, it is crucial to have a flood plan in place. The amber warning for rain covers a large portion of England, while a yellow warning is in place for most of the remaining areas. The orange icons on the map indicate flood alerts, while the red icons represent areas where there is an imminent risk of flooding.
The following areas are under an amber alert for rain from 5am until 9pm on September 23rd: Derbyshire, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire.
In the vicinity of the Grace Dieu Brook, including the junction of Ashby Road and Snarrow's Road in Leicestershire, people were warned to immediately move their families, cars, and possessions to safety. According to the government's flood alert service, "River levels are rising at the Whitwick downstream river gauge as a result of localised thunderstorms. Consequently, flooding of property is imminent. The areas most at risk are Whitwick and Thringstone." They also predicted that there will be further heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours and advised people to closely monitor the situation and take necessary precautions.
Another area that requires immediate action is Saredon Brook at Wedges Mills in Cannock, near Wolverhampton, where the risk of flooding is particularly high. Yesterday, in central London, people were seen walking past deep puddles caused by the heavy rain.
Amber weather warnings are more serious and rare compared to yellow warnings, which are issued fairly regularly. In fact, they are the second highest alert level after red. The last time central England experienced an amber warning for storms was over a year ago, on June 12, 2023, when the West Midlands, Gloucestershire, and Buckinghamshire were among the areas told to prepare for thunderstorms.
The current weather situation is a result of Storm Boris approaching, having already caused major floods in other parts of Europe. In Stoke-on-Trent, one home was reportedly struck by lightning, leading to the evacuation of nearby residents and the cordoning off of part of the street by the police.
The Environment Agency has also issued flood warnings for large parts of England for tomorrow, including an orange "medium" risk for the central region, which includes both river and surface water flooding. They have also issued multiple flood alerts across central England, stating, "It's likely that runoff from rainfall or blocked drains will cause properties and roads to flood. If this happens, your life might be in danger. It's possible but not expected that overflowing rivers will cause properties and roads to flood."
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