Airport set to reopen as band of rain moves away from UK

Travel has been disrupted by the ‘torrential downpours’, which caused Exeter Airport to close and cancel its remaining flights on Sunday.

Exeter Airport was closed and flights grounded after heavy rain flooded the airport terminal (Claire Hayhust/PA) (PA Archive)

An airport forced to close due to flash floods is expected to reopen as a band of rain that caused thunderstorms moves away from the UK.

Travel has been disrupted by the “torrential downpours”, which caused Exeter Airport to close and cancel its remaining flights on Sunday.

An airport spokesman said: “Following Sunday afternoon’s flash flooding, which caused the closure of the airport, our teams are working through the night cleaning up and we expect to be open tomorrow morning, Monday.

“Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the very latest information about their flight, and please bear with us while we do our very best to return all airport operations to normal.”

Videos posted on social media showed a flooded main terminal.

An amber weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of Devon and Somerset was in place on Sunday afternoon, with a yellow warning in other parts of south west England and South Wales.

A yellow warning issued for London, the south-east and east of England and the East Midlands expired at 6am on Monday.

Heavy rain brought “torrential downpours” across the south-west of England on Sunday, with localised flooding in Devon.

It also led to widespread road closures, bus and train cancellations and the closure of Paignton zoo.

Almost a month’s rain fell on Sunday at the Birds Hill rain gauge on the edge of Exmoor.

Other spots saw up to 60mm of rain fall, more than half the September average for the region of 92.45mm.

The band of rain moved eastwards throughout Sunday and cleared by the early hours of Monday morning.

Despite the wet weather easing, the Environment Agency issued several fresh flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, after midnight.

The affected areas include the Cumbrian coastline, the River Cole in Swindon and the River Gwash in Ryhall and Newstead, Lincolnshire.

Conditions are expected to remain “blustery at times” early this week but are likely to be fresher.

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said more storms are possible as the remnants of Hurricane Lee, which hit New England in the US and eastern Canada, is set to move across the UK between Tuesday and Thursday.

It will no longer be a hurricane by the time it reaches UK shores.

Mr Vautrey said: “That will be getting picked up by the jet stream. Showers in places could be heavy with a risk of further thunderstorms.

“It could be quite an unsettled, autumnal week to come.”