Devon floods: Road underwater as Met Office warns downpours of half a month’s rain
Severe flash floods have hit sections of South West England after the Met Office issued an amber warning for rain. Transport, shops and homes across the area have been affected by the torrential downpour
Dawlish: CCTV shows flash flooding along seafront
Major flash floods have struck down towns across the South West causing havoc after severe rainfall amid Met Office[1] weather[2] warnings for thunderstorms.
A bridge crossing over a river in Dawlish, in Devon, South West England, was underwater after a huge downpour of rain hit the southwest of England. Residents were stranded on either side of the road as water gushed down the road at pace - with people forced to keep away from the water. Many businesses and homes have been flooded due to the extreme weather. Exeter Airport was also forced to close[3] after flooding affected the terminal, with all flights cancelled.
Were you caught up in today's floods? Contact us at [email protected]
Major flash flooding has covered a large area in gushing water(
The airport said: "We are working to restore normal operations as soon as possible. In the meantime, passengers are advised to contact their airline for further information." Elsewhere in Exeter, the IKEA was flooded was video shows people wading through the ankle-deep water to get to their cars.
It comes after the Met Office issued an amber warning[4], with half a month’s rain set to fall in just one hour. They warned there could be a danger to life due to a high risk of fast-flowing and deep flood water - which can be seen on a YouTube[5] live stream.
The Met Office[6] also warned that homes and shops may be flooded due to the severe downpour and told residents in the area to expect power cuts. The amber warning is in place until 4pm today and is followed by a yellow warning in place until 6pm. Police are at the scene of the flood and have cordoned off one section of the road to protect residents from the flooding.
A restaurant worker at Dawlish and Grill said they "literally just" avoided total flooding, with the water going right up to the pavement outside - but the neighbouring shops weren't so lucky. He said: "A few other shops are flooded, the vape shop, the gift shop, the corner shop, the ice cream shop, they were all flooded." None of the above-mentioned shops were available to talk when contacted by the Mirror.
Tye, who works in Sea Breeze restaurant in Dawlish, told the Mirror: "Our manager came down and used a stick to get rid of the blockages in the sewers. Police came and blocked the road off, so no cars came by. But we got a little bit busy because people were standing round, not sure what to do."
Firefighters have been tackling flooding in Exeter(
Power cuts have also been reported across nearly 100 postcodes in Devon. Police earlier blasted “lunatic” drivers who were driving fast in the middle of a torrential downpour. The M5 around junction 31 near Exminster, Devon, has seen lane closures and traffic congestion - after flooding turned the motorway into a large pond.
A traffic cop said: "The rain is so heavy it is forming small lakes on some stretches of the motorway, yet some drivers are still tearing along at over 70mph. They can't see ahead because of the blinding spray, and if they hit one of the sheets of water, their car will aquaplane and take off. It’s a tragic accident waiting to happen. - they're lunatics who could kill other people as well as themselves."
Heavy rain has covered large parts of the South West today(
Traffic chaos extended around the county as towns were left in complete gridlock due to flooded streets. SomersetLive[7] reported that Taunton was one of the worst hit. One resident said the railway bridge in Taunton was flooded, with cars turning around to avoid the gridlock.
260 homes near Swansea and many near Falmouth, Cornwall, were entirely blacked out as thunder and lightning hit the area. One Devon resident narrowly escaped injury - after a lightning bolt struck the house.
Firefighters attended the scene and said: "This morning at 1.44am we were called along with Ashburton Fire[8] Station to reports of a house struck by lightning in Totnes. The crews used two breathing apparatus to check the upstairs of the property due to a strong smell of burning. It was evident a large surge had gone through the house and plug sockets had blown off of the wall, light switches were affected and a lamp was shattered."
An apocalyptic-looking sea has been affected by a torrential downpour(
Firefighters also attended another home nearby which had been entirely flooded.
"We had difficulty in reaching the property due to localised flooding so two firefighters donned water safety PPE and waded to the house to support the occupant. We utilised small tools, buckets and shovels to remove the majority of the water. We then installed the occupants flood defence barrier to prevent further flooding from the rain that is forecast today."
Paignton Zoo was also forced to close due to the flooding. A local resident said "It was a nightmare and happened so quickly. We have all been out clearing drains and luckily the water has dispersed."
Fire and Rescue services had to save people struggling at home - including one home which was struck by lightning(
Road closures have been common all across the South West today(
Earlier, Chief Forecaster with the Met Office Steve Willington said: “Some within the warning area could see torrential rain, perhaps even reaching 40mm of rainfall within the hour. Later in the warning period there is a risk of large hail, frequent lightning and gusty winds.”
Don’t miss
References
- ^ Met Office (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ weather (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ forced to close (www.devonlive.com)
- ^ Met Office issued an amber warning (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ YouTube (www.youtube.com)
- ^ Met Office (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ SomersetLive (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ Fire (www.mirror.co.uk)