UK weather: Dont travel today, Brits told as Met Office issues urgent warnings & aerial pics show
BRITS are being warned not to travel today after the Met Office put more weather alerts in place.
Forecasters have warned more heavy rain is on the way while many parts of the UK are still reeling from the aftermath of Storm Henk.
A yellow weather alert is in place today and 269 flood warnings are also set up and down the country.
And social media has been overwhelmed with videos of flooded homes, with people wading through the brown water.
The rain warning, which covers much of the south of England is in place from midday today until 3am tomorrow.
The wet weather is causing even more travel chaos after many trains were cancelled yesterday.
MORE ON WEATHER
Rail passengers heading for south-west England have been warned to start their journeys before 3pm due to likely flooding.
Great Western Railway (GWR) said customers travelling by rail to Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall should leave as soon as possible, with services likely to be delayed or cancelled later on Thursday.
In a statement, the firm said: "With further flood warnings in place and the amount of rain forecast, Network Rail has identified key sites in Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall as being at risk of flooding from around 1500. Trains may not be able to operate through these areas."
Services between Paddington and Swindon will operate but may be affected by flooding elsewhere, the firm added.
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GWR said customers with tickets for later services on Thursday could use them on earlier trains.
It comes after forecasters warn there could be “power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses”.
They say Brits should expect flooding and damage to some buildings - which will “lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures”.
The heavy rain also means “there is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads”.
The Met Office explained: “Where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services."
It comes as much of the country is already underwater after Storm Henk brutally bashed the UK - claiming two victims.
Brits had been told not to leave their homes during the storm yesterday, with forecasters issuing a danger to life warning.
One dad today told The Sun how he and his family were forced upstairs with their seven-month-old baby as floodwaters lapped at their door.
'GRABBED EVERYTHING'
Jacob Davidge, 27, said he, his wife Shompa, their baby Isaiah and family watched on in fear as the water continued rising at their Loughborough home in the middle of the night.
The dad said they frantically moved their possessions from the bottom story of their home, to the top, in the hopes of saving them.
Jacob said even today, almost two days on, the family is still waiting for the floodwaters to leave the home.
He told The Sun: "We were grabbing everything and anything really.
"At 3am it was at our knees. We weren't sure the height the water would reach.
"It was quite hard to gauge - we ended up using the letterbox as a gauge."
Jacob, who is trying to raise money through GoFundMe to replace the lost possessions, added: "It's bittersweet. Everyone's devastated that the home's ruined.
"Also, we're lucky we're safe and OK."
HORROR FOOTAGE
In the hours that followed the wild weather, heartbreaking videos were uploaded to TikTok as people's homes were submerged by floodwaters.
One person in Leicester shared a video of water at their ankles, lapping at their kitchen cupboards and sofas.
Others snapped clips from the safety of their houses as they watched the brown water rise in their gardens.
Another video uploaded to Twitter/X showed cars driving through deep waters on A438 Ashchurch Road.
The vehicles were said to have quickly become stranded, with drivers having to flee, before cops closed off the road.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) yesterday urged drivers to avoid flooded roads after several terrifying incidents on Tuesday night.
In Birmingham a brave passer-by rescued a three-year-old child and a driver from a car submerged in flood water.
The hero then secured the vehicle to the bridge to prevent it being washed away, local cops said.
TWO VICTIMS
A father also rescued an unresponsive woman from the freezing River Severn in Worcester after spotting her "floating like a mannequin".
Families were even forced to abandon their caravans in the Billing Aquadrome in Northampton, this afternoon, thanks to the torrid conditions.
And tragically a man was pronounced dead when his car was hit by a tree eight miles north of Malmesbury.
A woman, 87, was also killed in a crash in Goring after her car ploughed into a fallen tree.
Meanwhile, a terrified family also told how they were on the London Eye when Storm Henk blew off the roof of their pod off.
David Nock and 11 family members, including five children aged between 11 and 15, were 400ft up the attraction when a service hatch was ripped off in high winds.
It comes as a group of locals have hit out at their local council after what was thought to be a tornado hit their town of Stalybridge last week.
A "supercell thunderstorm" crossed Greater Manchester on December 27, causing widespread damage to properties, the Met Office said.
The forecaster said that radar evidence showing a "strong rotating updraft" suggested that a tornado was "likely".
'NO ASSISTANCE OR HELP'
Now locals like Gareth Moody, whose homes are in ruins, are saying the Tameside Council has "massively let them down".
He said: “The council has offered no assistance or help.
“Our home has made national and international headlines but where is our support from the local authority?
"We have had little to no contact with them [the council]. I feel massively let down and angry.”
The council said its "priority is to protect people".
A spokesperson said: “Staff have appreciated the positive response from a large number of residents and will continue to provide any further advice needed.
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"We are writing to residents this week as a courtesy follow up and our Emergency Call Centre is available on 0161 342 2222 for emergency out of hours calls.
"Our call centre is available on 0161 342 8355 for anyone who needs any advice and support.”
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