Parts of the UK hit by floods again by Elizabeth Saary
Persistent heavy rain across much of England on Friday has lead to widespread flash flooding.
Over 30mm (1 inch) of rain fell in parts of western England and the Midlands with Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset bearing the brunt of it. Surface water inundated homes and brought roads and railways to a standstill. In some cases, motorists were left stranded in their cars. The M5 motorway northbound was temporarily closed between Gloucester and Bristol, while dozens of flights were postponed at Bristol International Airport.
Heaviest rain accumulations yesterday were 34.2mm (1.4 inches) in Bristol, 29.2mm (1.2 inches) at Lyneham in Wiltshire and 24mm (0.9 inches) in Pershore, Worcestershire. Parts of southwest England and south Wales even saw a few millimetres of snow accumulating over higher ground as the rain band encountered cold air as it slowly spread north.
Residents in Easton-in-Gordano, North Somerset were left mopping up floodwater from their homes, while in Gloucestershire, residents feared similar scenes to the devastating floods of the summer of 2007. Residents in Tewkesbury, who are still living in caravans while their homes are being repaired, were laying out piles of sandbags as a precaution.
There are still a significant number of flood warnings in force for parts of the southwest as forecasters are expecting further spells of rain and showers over the coming days. This further rainfall could impact on areas that already have had high accumulations of rain in recent days.
For further updates of flood warnings, check the Environment Agency website.
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