UK weather live: Snow warning for London as UK braces for temperatures to plummet to -20C
The warning for snow comes amid continued weather disruption at airports and schools across the UK
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Your support makes all the difference.A weather warning for snow has been issued for London as the UK is set to see temperatures plunge to as low as -20C this week.
The Met Office has said up to two inches of snow could fall in the south of England on Wednesday, including the capital.
Weather warnings for snow and ice are also in place in Northern Ireland and western and northern Scotland until noon on Wednesday.
The cold snap is set to continue until the end of this week, with amber health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency in place across England until midday on Sunday.
The bad weather has continued to cause travel chaos on Tuesday, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Aberdeen Airport both closed in the morning due to the snow.
And there are still hundreds of flood alerts and warnings across the country thanks to rain and melting snow. As of Tuesday lunchtime, the Environment Agency had one danger-to-life flood warning, 133 flood warnings and 217 flood alerts in place across England.
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Caravan owner mourns damage as floodwaters rise
Neil Monteith, 49, owns a caravan on the front row of the Proctors Pleasure Park, near Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire, which was surrounded by flood water on Tuesday morning.
He said he no longer lives in the caravan but has “never seen” the flooding this bad before.
He said: “(The water) is the highest I’ve seen it, I’ve never seen it this bad before.”
Mr Monteith added that he only keeps furniture inside but said that it is “more than likely” damaged.
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Flooding has been ‘challenging’, Leicestershire fire chief says
Judi Beresford, Leicestershire’s assistant chief fire and rescue officer, said the demand on the service from flooding across the county has been “challenging”.
She said: “The pressure that we experienced yesterday from about five o’clock in the morning and well into the early hours of this morning was significant.
“It was very challenging but I’m really pleased to say that our crews handled themselves and the situation magnificently.
“The latest information that we have is that the water is still continuing to rise, particularly in relation to the rivers, but we would expect that to start to ease.
“Just because the weather is showing some signs of improvement at the moment, floodwater can still be incredibly dangerous, so I’d still just reinforce our messages to stay out of floodwater, to plan journeys ahead, and if people do need assistance and life is at risk, then please dial 999.”
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has responded to 380 calls and attended 56 flooding incidents since Monday morning.
Full report: Homeowners trapped inside while ‘still recovering’ from flood a year ago
Homeowners trapped inside while ‘still recovering’ from flood a year ago
A major incident was declared in Leicestershire on Monday after rain and snow brought severe flooding.
Number of flu hospital admissions 3.6 times higher than last year, Northern Irish health minister says
The number of people admitted to hospital with flu in Northern Ireland this winter is 3.6 times higher than the previous year, Stormont’s Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has said.
Mr Nesbitt told the Health Committee that patients facing long waits in hospital emergency departments were often having to “surrender their dignity and privacy” and said staff were facing “moral injury”.
The minister announced that the flu vaccination programme would be extended to all those over the age of 50.
Officials from the Department of Health said it has been the worst year for flu cases since before the pandemic, but added they believed the number of hospital admissions had peaked.
Mr Nesbitt attended the emergency meeting of his oversight committee amid ongoing concerns about winter pressures on health services in Northern Ireland, particularly the amount of time people are having to wait at emergency departments in hospitals.
Mr Nesbitt began his evidence by paying tribute to health and social care staff who had worked over Christmas.
The minister said he was “looking for levers short term” to deal with hospital pressures, as well as offering a “blank page” for next winter.
Snow mapped: Where freezing weather and flooding will hit UK with more snow forecast
Snow mapped: Where freezing weather and flooding will hit UK this week
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Woman visiting mother in Loughborough ‘trapped’ in home due to flooding
A 25-year-old woman visiting her mother’s home in Belton Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, for Christmas said she did not expect to become “trapped” after the house was flooded on Tuesday.
Duaa Abdulal remains stuck with her mother and younger sister upstairs while the ground floor of the home is filled with water.
She said the house was destroyed by flooding from Storm Henk in January last year and the family have not finished refurbishing since then.
Ms Abdulal said: “We’re stuck upstairs. Last year my family managed to leave the building.
“Thankfully, today we managed to get everything upstairs when we got the flood warning.
“We’re still recovering from last year, actually, we haven’t finished refurbishing the house, so it’s stressful.”
Man whose housee was damaged by Storm Henk last year has home flooded again
A man, who did not wish to be named, found his home flooded on Tuesday in Belton Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, from rising water in the nearby Grand Union Canal.
He said he has been living in alternative accommodation for a year since Storm Henk damaged his property last January and was just about to move back in before the flooding started again on Monday.
The homeowner told the PA News Agency, as he stood on the road near his house: “They had almost got everything ready to move back in – all new downstairs. Now, all the new stuff, the new items, have got to be repaired and replaced again.
“They will potentially tell us it’s all got to be scrapped.
“Last year everything downstairs – the carpets, flooring, furniture – all were damaged.
“In the space of a year, it’s just unbelievable that it’s happened again.
“I can’t comprehend this all, you never think it’s going to happen in this area.
“It’s the Grand Union canal – it seems like there’s a weak point that just sort of overflows and just all comes cascading down this way.”
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