UK weather: Streets submerged in north of England with more flood warnings in place

Parts of Greater Manchester saw one of its wettest days in a decade

A woman with an umbrella near Knaresborough Castle in North Yorkshire on 5 February 2022 (PA)

Flood warnings are in place for a number of areas of the UK after parts of the country have been submerged by heavy rain this weekend.

In Greater Manchester, streets have been flooded from Saturday (5 February) after the River Mersey had burst its banks.

The river had overflown near to Didsbury Golf Course, and in the town of Sale.

Bolton reportedly recorded 31.6mm of rain in the space of 24 hours from Saturday morning, according to Oldham Weather on Twitter – which said it was one of the top 10 wettest days in the last decade.

“Some more rain to come over the next 3 days but nothing like we have seen this weekend. Drier spell back end of the week with some overnight frosts,” the Oldham Weather account added.

Heavy rain also fell in Cumbria, Lancashire, and Yorkshire – a weather map shows.

As of Sunday afternoon, four flood warnings are in place for the River Ure near Roecliffe Caravan Park near Leeds, Foreshore Road in Scarborough, Sandside – also Scarborough, and Hornsea near Hull.

In Wales, two flood warnings are in place for Maesbrook, and nearby Melverley, due to risks posed by the River Vyrnwy.

Flood warnings are issued by the Environment Agency (EA) when flooding is expected.

A total of 31 flood alerts – when flooding is “possible” – are currently in place across the UK, mainly in the north of England, the Midlands, and East Anglia.

In the past 24 hours, at the time of publication, 12 flood warnings were removed by the EA.

For the River Mersey breaking its banks, the EA has issued a flood warning but a spokesperson has told the Manchester Evening News on Sunday afternoon that they believe the river levels have peaked.

The spokesperson had said: “Further rainfall is forecast throughout the morning and into the afternoon [on 6 February]. River levels are expected to remain high throughout today.

“We will continue to monitor the forecast and re-issue this warning if necessary.

“Avoid using low lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses and do not attempt to walk or drive through flood water.”

As well as flooding, parts of the UK have had blustry wet weather that is set to ease over the coming days.

Some wintry showers have fallen in the north of England and Scotland.

A Met Office yellow weather warning is in place for snow north of the border.

The regions mostly affected will be central, Tayside, Fife, the South West and Lothian and Borders, Strathclyde, the Highlands and Grampian, according to the Met Office.

About 2-5cm of snow is possible in places, with potentially 10-15cm (4-6in) accumulating on routes above 300 metres (984ft).

Temperatures will drop to about 1C over the weekend, but in some areas it will be even colder at minus 6C, according to the Met Office.

On Saturday, four flood warnings were issued for Scotland as wintry showers were expected to continue over the weekend.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has warned high tides and strong winds of up to 50mph could cause flooding in lower-lying regions.

Flood warnings have been in place for northern and south-western Scotland including Ayr to Troon, Loch Ryan in Dumfries and Galloway and Churchill Barriers and Sanday in Orkney.

Six flood alerts have also been issued for Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Western Isles, Shetland and West Central Scotland.

A statement from Sepa said: “Over the next few days, a combination of high tides, surges and strong winds means that flooding to coastal areas could occur.

“Sepa will continue to monitor the situation, and further updates will appear here if there situation changes.

“Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property.”