The number of flood warnings is expected to continue dropping as the flood-hit areas will see drier weather over the next few days…reports Asian Lite News
Storm Conall has brought another day of rain to southern England, causing disruptions including cancellations of train services. There are currently 71 flood warnings in England with flood-hit areas still recovering from the days of downpours during Storm Bert.
The new storm caused fewer issues as it passed over southern England on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, because it was forecast to strengthen as it moved towards the Netherlands. The number of flood warnings is expected to continue dropping as the flood-hit areas will see drier weather over the next few days.
As Storm Conall passed over England, nearly 50mm of rain fell on Dartmoor and 20-30mm in some other parts of southern England. But many of the areas that were flooded during Storm Bert saw less rain with totals at around 3mm-8mm, so further problems were averted.
The upcoming days will see higher pressure, which will bring dry weather across flooded areas, allowing time for the flood water to disappear. In parts of south-east England, trains were cancelled along three routes due to flooded tracks, while five other routes were facing disruption on Wednesday morning.
Gatwick Express trains will continue to see delays and cancellations into the evening, with the service advising commuters who use the service to start return journeys as soon as possible due to disruptions. Thameslink passengers travelling to Welwyn Garden City have been advised to use alternate routes due to some suspended services, while others are still reduced.
The worst of Conall is being felt in the Netherlands. Stronger winds were felt in eastern England later on Wednesday as the storm developed over the North Sea.
Flood warnings – which mean flooding is expected – remain concentrated along the River Severn, from Shropshire into Gloucestershire, the Bristol Avon, as well as the River Nene in Northamptonshire.
A severe flood warning for the Billing Aquadrome holiday park – where a major incident was declared over the weekend – and nearby businesses along the Nene remained in place until late Wednesday afternoon. Emsworth, in Hampshire, has also recorded a water level in the West Brook area as “high and rising rapidly”, with heavy rain expected to reach nearly 40mm.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds brought by Storm Bert over the weekend led to at least five deaths, while homes, roads and rail networks faced major disruption. Many communities are still cleaning up after homes and businesses were inundated by floodwater. Conall is the third “named” storm of the season, after Ashley and Bert.
The storm was named by the Dutch Weather Service, which along with the Met Office and Met Eireann in Ireland, name storms for ease of communication. The storms list – first launched in 2015 – for each year generally runs from early September until late August the following year, coinciding with the beginning of autumn.
ALSO READ: RMT claims ‘substantial victory’ after tube pay dispute