A deluge of heavy rain is pounding sodden ground in the wake of Storm Henk, with widespread flooding across England and travel disruption.
Residents have been evacuated from hundreds of flooded homes, and a major incident declared in Nottinghamshire. A Met Office yellow warning for rain covering the south of England is in force until 03:00 GMT on Friday. Some 259 warnings of expected flooding were in place in England on Thursday evening, with two covering Wales. The heavy rainfall caused multiple train routes to close, with Great Western Railway advising passengers not to travel and South Western Railway expecting disruption to continue until “at least the end of the day”. Nottinghamshire County Council declared a major incident due to rising river levels along the River Trent, which was expected to peak on Thursday evening or early on Friday. The council has warned levels could come close those recorded in the year 2000 – the highest on record.
At 22:00 GMT, there were 259 active flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – across much of England, and two in Wales. There were also 338 flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – in place across England and Wales. BBC Weather Presenter Ben Rich said 2024 had “got off to an exceptionally wet start”. Parts of eastern England recorded nearly all their average January rainfall in just the first few days, he said, while many other spots have had well over half the rainfall they would normally expect during the whole month. “This means river catchments are full and the ground is saturated – and saturated ground is not able to absorb any more moisture,” he said, with this leading to flooding. The worst of the rain on Thursday evening was in the south of England where the “rain really has been coming down hard and fast”, he added. People who live in areas covered by flood warnings should act by turning off gas, water and electricity supplies, moving things upstairs, and moving family, pets and cars to safety, according to the Environment Agency, which covers England. National Rail said train services running across Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink networks may be cancelled or delayed.
Great Western Rail, which connects London with south-west England and south Wales, advised travellers against starting their journeys by rail due to the heavy rainfall forecast on already flooded ground. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold weather alert for all parts of England, which will come into effect on Saturday and last until next Tuesday. It said that after a “period of mild and unsettled weather”, higher pressure coming into the weekend would mean colder temperatures. Storm Henk hit the UK on Tuesday, bringing winds of up to 81mph and heavy rain. Thames Valley Police said an 87-year-old motorist died after her car hit a fallen tree in Crays Pond, Oxfordshire on Tuesday. She died at the scene. The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as the fallen tree was reported an hour and a half before the collision. A driver in his 50s was killed by a falling tree near to the town of Kemble in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire Police said. Local farms have also been heavily impacted, with thousands of acres of crops and farmland sitting under floodwater left by Henk. Farmers are calling on the government to invest more in river defences in rural areas to protect UK food production.
