Britons faced major rail disruption due to severe flooding today after a girl died in a mudslide amid a month’s worth of rain and a Met Office ‘danger to life’ warning.
Avanti West Coast cancelled services between Preston and Scotland after the River Caldew burst its banks and flooded tracks at Carlisle, blocking the West Coast Main Line in both directions. Avanti urged passengers: ‘Do not travel north of Preston.’
Other trains in the North of England were cancelled or delayed by speed restrictions due to the stormy weather, with Northern warning affected routes included York to Blackpool, Leeds to Manchester, Bradford to Huddersfield and Hull to Halifax.
The washout will continue today, especially in the North West which is under an amber warning. A further month’s worth of rain is due in 24 hours between 12pm yesterday and 12pm today – after that same figure in the previous 24-hour period.
Downpours led to some homes being flooded, with properties in Cumbria and Essex evacuated – while sandbags were distributed in Harlow after drains overflowed. The Environment Agency imposed 20 flood warnings and 116 alerts for England today.
The wettest place yesterday was Toddington in Bedfordshire which saw 79mm (3.1in) of rain in 24 hours – compared to the UK’s average rainfall for May of 71mm (2.8in).
As for the bank holiday weekend, Saturday will see dry conditions with temperatures of up to 21C (70F) in the South, but showers could return for Sunday and Monday.
It comes after ten-year-old Leah Harrison died in a mudslide while on a school trip to Carlton-in-Cleveland on the edge of the North York Moors yesterday afternoon.
Avanti West Coast cancelled services between Preston and Scotland today after the River Caldew burst its banks and flooded tracks at Carlisle, blocking the West Coast Main Line
Muddy conditions in the Oxfordshire countryside this morning after heavy rain at Dunsden
The Environment Agency imposed 20 flood warnings (in red) and 116 alerts (in amber) today
A major operation involving 30 mountain rescuers was launched to save the Year Six pupil from Darlington while heavy rain fell in the area, but she could not be saved.
Her family said in a statement: ‘Leah Harrison, the happy, bubbly, go-lucky little girl. The beautiful smile, the giddy laugh, the silly jokes.
‘You will never ever be forgotten baby girl. You will achieve your dream and become a player for the Lionesses. Spread those wings. May you rest in paradise.’
Leah was a pupil at Mount Pleasant Primary School, which is part of Lingfield Education Trust. Its chief executive Nick Blackburn said: ‘The full details are still emerging but this is clearly a heartbreaking tragedy.
‘Leah was a much-loved part of our school and our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and the school staff. Counselling is being arranged within the school for pupils and staff.
‘We are all in a state of shock and we would ask that the privacy of the family and the school community is respected while we try to come to terms with what has happened.’
Leah Harrison, 10, from Darlington, died in a mudslide while on a school trip yesterday
A photograph released by Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team today of the scene in Carlton-in-Cleveland, North Yorkshire, after one person died in a mudslide yesterday afternoon
A major operation involving 30 mountain rescuers was launched at Carlton-in-Cleveland
The Met Office said the area had seen almost a month’s worth of rain in the past day, with 41.6mm (1.6in) recorded over the last 24 hours in Loftus, a town 20 miles away.
Simon Partridge, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: ‘The average monthly rainfall for May in North Yorkshire is 57.5mm so they’ve almost had a month’s worth of rainfall.’
Carlisle in Cumbria also experienced significant rainfall, with 65.6mm (2.6in) falling over the previous 24 hours.
The Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning for the rivers Roe and Ive from Highbridge to Stockdalewath, south of Carlisle. The warning says flooding will be rapid due to rapidly rising water levels.
Flooding near Carlisle also resulted in thousands of train passengers due to travel between northern England and Scotland suffering major disruption.
National Rail Enquiries said the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Lockerbie was blocked.
Operators affected include Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper. Major disruption is expected for the rest of today.
Avanti West Coast told passengers: ‘Please do not attempt to travel with us between Preston and Scotland. We’re really sorry if this affects your journey today.’
The company told ticketholders they can travel with other operators such as LNER on the East Coast Main Line, postpone their journey or request a refund.
TransPennine Express commercial director Darren Higgins said: ‘Due to flooding on the railway line north of Carlisle, train services are significantly disrupted.
‘The safety of our customers and colleagues is our priority and we are urging customers not to travel between Manchester, Liverpool (or) Preston to Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
‘Anyone planning on travelling by train today can choose to defer their travel or claim a refund.’
ScotRail services between Carlisle and Glasgow Central are expected to start or terminate at Dumfries.
Cumbria Police said a number of properties have been affected in the Stockdalewath area, with one property evacuated.
Chief Superintendent Mick Bird said a multi-agency co-ordination group has been set up overnight to deal with localised flooding in the area.
‘Emergency services have been responding throughout the night to calls for service following persistent rainfall, which has resulted in flooding in some parts of the county,’ he said.
‘The flooding is on a small scale and the public can be reassured that the weather forecast is expected to be much more favourable throughout today.
‘We do expect some impact to travel within Cumbria with some flood water in parts of the county.’
A total of 20 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, have been issued across England with one in Scotland.
A driver negotiates a flooded road amid heavy rain in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, yesterday
Water is seen rushing across the Brown’s Lane ford in Holme Hale, Norfolk, yesterday
Heavy rain hits Cambridge yesterday as the UK experiences severe downpours
Motorists in the rain on the M5 northbound between the South West and Midlands yesterday
Mr Partridge said there was still ‘quite a long way to go’ until the rain was due to stop, with wet weather expected to continue in the area until this evening.
An amber warning for rain had been in place across parts of North Wales and North-West England, including Manchester and Liverpool, since midday yesterday.
A yellow warning for rain covered the North of England, the Midlands and North and central Wales until 6am today, while another was in place for southern and eastern Scotland until 6pm today.
Fast flowing or deep floodwater which may cause ‘danger to life’ was likely, the Met Office warned.
Heavy rainfall may also cause delays and cancellations to public transport services, difficult driving conditions and power cuts, the forecaster said.
Met Office chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: ‘A band of prolonged and heavy rain will move north and west across the UK during Wednesday and Thursday.
People under umbrellas in the rain at Newcastle’s Quayside by the Tyne Bridge yesterday
Roads in the Romford area of East London became flooded yesterday following heavy rainfall
A vintage Porsche 356 kicks up floodwater near Mountsorrel in Leicestershire yesterday
A man walks in heavy rain in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, yesterday as downpours continue
‘Areas exposed to the strengthening northerly winds are most likely to see the highest rainfall amounts, with a chance of some areas, particularly over higher ground in North Wales seeing more than 150mm, with parts of North West England seeing more than 80mm.
‘Many places could see 30-40mm of rain, while a few areas may receive 60-80mm.
‘Areas over higher ground in the Amber warning areas could see the equivalent of more than one months’ worth of rain before the low pressure moves on, later on Thursday.’
Regarding staying safe in wet weather, Mr Partridge said: ‘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.
‘Keep an eye on your local warnings from the Environment Agency which are just as important as ours as well.’
He added that the forecast for the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend was looking ‘uncertain’ but the weather seemed to be ‘getting better’.
