The British Met Office has issued warnings of more heavy rain that could pose a danger to life and cause significant travel disruptions across the UK. This follows a tragic incident on Wednesday when a person died in a mudslide in Carlton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire.
North Yorkshire Police confirmed the fatality, stating, "We can confirm that one person has sadly died as a result of the incident. Our thoughts are with their family and friends during this difficult time."
The Met Office reported that the area experienced almost a month’s worth of rain in a single day. Loftus, a town 20 miles away from Carlton-in-Cleveland, recorded 41.6 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours. Simon Partridge, a forecaster at the Met Office, highlighted the severity of the rainfall: "The average monthly rainfall for May in North Yorkshire is 57.5mm, so they’ve almost had a month’s worth of rainfall today."
Carlisle in Cumbria faced even worse conditions, with 65.6 millimetres of rainfall recorded over the previous 24 hours. The UK Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning for the rivers Roe and Ive, with rapid flooding expected due to rising water levels. Additionally, 22 flood warnings have been issued across England, along with one in Scotland.
Partridge emphasized that the rain is expected to continue until Thursday evening. An amber warning for rain is in place for parts of North Wales and north-west England, including Manchester and Liverpool, while a yellow warning covers the north of England, the Midlands, and north and central Wales until 6:00 a.m. on Thursday. Another yellow warning is in effect for southern and eastern Scotland until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
The Met Office warned of fast-flowing or deep floodwater, which could pose a danger to life, and noted that heavy rainfall could cause delays and cancellations to public transport services, difficult driving conditions, and power cuts.
Partridge advised the public to plan their trips carefully and avoid unnecessary travel. "Although it may not look too bad when you leave home, it could turn much heavier once you’re out and about. So, the best thing is to plan your trips and if you don’t need to go the best advice is to try and avoid it."
He also recommended keeping an eye on local warnings from the Environment Agency, which are just as important as those from the Met Office. Despite the current severe weather, Partridge added that the forecast for the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend looks "uncertain but the weather seemed to be getting better."
As of Wednesday evening, the Environment Agency had five flood warnings and 111 flood alerts in place across England, underscoring the widespread impact of the heavy rain.
