Flood chaos hits Britain after Storm Henk battering: Drivers abandon cars in 4ft deep water after downpours and 94mph gales left trail of destruction and one man crushed to …

By Mark Duell[1]

Published: 12:26, 3 January 2024 | Updated: 12:51, 3 January 2024

Cars were abandoned on a flooded country road today amid chaos across Britain after Storm Henk brought 94mph winds, 135,000 power cuts and travel mayhem.

A column of 11 abandoned vehicles lay submerged in 4ft of water on the A443 road near Lindridge in Worcestershire today after the nearby River Tame broke its banks.

The road was initially blocked by a stranded car but further drivers then also became stuck as they tried to navigate the floods and had to be rescued by firefighters.

Major flooding risks remained with nearly 750 alerts or warnings imposed across England and Wales as the UK rail network continued to be crippled by the weather.

And the Met Office[2] issued another yellow rain warning for southern England which will run from 12pm tomorrow until 3am on Friday with up to 2in (50mm) set to fall.

In Gloucestershire, a motorist in his 50s from the Bath area died when a tree fell on the car he was driving in near Kemble between Tetbury and Cirencester yesterday.

Passengers using Thameslink, Southern, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and Great Northern services all faced severe disruption this morning.

Greater Anglia activated 'do not travel' warnings for parts of its network, while several major roads in England were closed due to flooding. It comes as:

• The Energy Networks Association said 135,000 homes lost power in the storm;
• Rail operators warned travel disruption is likely to continue for the rest of today;
• Lincolnshire firefighters said they received 140 flood-related calls in 24 hours;
• The London Fire Brigade attended more than 200 incidents related to the storm;
• Leicestershire Police said homes were being hit by flooding in Loughborough.

Southern England was battered yesterday by winds of up to 94mph and heavy rain as the storm caused chaos for commuters and an amber 'danger to life' warning for strong gusts was issued, covering a 400-mile swathe from Norwich to Swansea.

The severe winds brought down scaffolding in Greenwich and Sutton in London[3], where Mayor Sadiq Khan[4] warned of 'potential risk to life and property'. Also in the capital, a woman was taken to hospital after being crushed by a tree in Orpington.

Abandoned vehicles are submerged on the A443 road near Lindridge in Worcestershire today

Firefighters rescue people from the Billing Aquadrome in Northampton today after flooding

A tree that has fallen onto a row of houses in Woolwich, South East London, pictured today

Deluged homes in Loughborough, Leicestershire, today after the Grand Union Canal flooded

Storm Henk brought down a tree on a Lexus car in Stamford-le-Hope, Essex, pictured today

The Environment Agency issued 331 flood warnings (in red) and 363 flood alerts (in amber)

Today, transport delays continued after rain and strong winds from the the storm lashed large parts of the UK - with the Environment Agency imposing a whopping 331 flood warnings and 363 flood alerts across England as of this morning.

Speaking about the new rain warning tomorrow, Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: 'The track of the heaviest rain remains uncertain but there is chance of 20 to 30mm of rain falling in a six to nine hour period for a portion of the warning area, with a few places seeing as much as 40 to 50mm.

The strongest gales were recorded at the Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight

'Much of this rain is falling on already wet ground and therefore, impacts are more likely.

Meanwhile, a stalled weather front will continue to bring rain and showers across the northeast.'

Forecasters added that it will become much colder next week with lower-than-average temperatures across much of the country. Frost is likely overnight and there is also a risk of fog and ice given the very wet ground in most areas.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather alert covering the whole of England valid from 9am this Saturday until 12pm next Tuesday.

Several residents have been evacuated from houseboats and caravans at Billing Aquadrome, close to the River Nene near Northampton, due to flooding caused by Storm Henk.

A column of 11 abandoned vehicles is submerged on the A443 road in Worcestershire today

The A443 was initially blocked by a stranded car but further drivers then also became stuck

Cars became stuck on the A443 road in Worcestershire after the River Tame broke its banks

Road closures signs on the A443 in Worcestershire today amid major flooding from the storm

Drivers on the A443 tried to navigate the floods and had to be rescued by firefighters

A column of 11 abandoned vehicles is submerged on the A443 road in Worcestershire today

Cars became stuck on the A443 road in Worcestershire after the River Tame broke its banks

The A443 was initially blocked by a stranded car but further drivers then also became stuck

A column of 11 abandoned vehicles is submerged on the A443 road in Worcestershire today

The A443 was initially blocked by a stranded car but further drivers then also became stuck

Drivers on the A443 tried to navigate the floods and had to be rescued by firefighters

While a severe flood warning, meaning there is a risk to life, previously in place was downgraded to a flood warning this morning, the Environment Agency has said river levels will 'remain high for the next few days'.

Homeowner rows in her flooded back garden

A homeowner started rowing in her back garden in East Sussex after it flooded during Storm Henk.

Serena Schellenberg said yesterday that she was aware of historical flooding in her local area of Hellingly.

But the climate activist and environmental film-maker told BBC News[5]: 'In the past three years I have seen it getting worse and worse and something needs to be done.'

She found that water in her garden was more than knee-deep, with houses nearby lined with sandbags.

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Emergency services were at the scene, with residents in houseboats being taken to the shore in rubber boats after a walkway was submerged by rising water.

Robert Britchford was among the evacuated residents. He moved to the site in 2016 and estimated that around 2,000 people have been evacuated.

He said: 'It's the second time in three years that it has flooded.

I moved my cars out of the way, and I thought I would try and wait it out, because I thought it would be nice today, but no, the evacuation notice went out at 2.30pm yesterday and that was it.

'I'm a bit anxious. We felt it was coming, but we hoped it wouldn't. Now we have to find hotels.

They won't let us back on until this is all sorted, so it could be a month before we come back on.

'There are no sandbags or anything. I've got a bit of decking around mine, and that's it, so if the water goes over door level, that's my caravan gone, and I can't afford a new one.'

He continued: 'What's next? I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

'You are hoping for the best, but you're fearing for the worst.

They've turned the electrics off so everything in your freezer has gone, and in the sheds, how high it is will depend on whether the washing machine and tumble dryer has gone.

'But in the caravan itself, if water gets in there, you may as well scrap it and start again. That's the fear at the moment - how high has it gone? If it has gone over door level, I am totally screwed.

'To replace my caravan now would be around GBP150,000 and I haven't got GBP150,000 lying around.

'I don't feel annoyed.

It's the not knowing that gets to you. You want to have a look, but we can't get on (to the site).

'It doesn't look promising at the moment so it's just a case of wait and see and hopefully we can get back on at some point.'

Mr Britchford also continued: 'I'm worried. We all are.

We are not in the position where we have got somewhere to go. When it gets to shut down, we end up in hotels or I try and see family members.

'We save up all year for it so we can stay away. You never know what is going to happen.

This is the highest it has ever been.

'I am thinking now, even though I love it here, do I want to be here? You have got amenities here, pubs here, you have only got to walk. Why should I go out of my way?

We love it here, but it's just a case of not knowing what is going to happen after this.'

Eddie Hancock, a resident who lives around two miles away from Billing Aquadrome, said the high water levels were 'scary' and he had never seen the water so high in around 30 years of living in the area.

He said: 'Our house is pretty much OK as we're further over, we're up a hill, but it's drastic. I have never, ever seen emergency services over there.

'It's worrying. I feel sorry for the poor people on Billing Aquadrome.

It's mad, I wouldn't want to be over there. It has never, ever been this bad. I thought I would come down and have a look and it is a bad.

It's scary.'

In Wales there was a severe flood warning for the River Ritec in Tenby, 11 flood warnings and 38 flood alerts, according to Natural Resources Wales.

In Gloucestershire, a motorist died after a tree fell on the car he was driving in yesterday during strong winds and heavy rain.

Police said a man in his 50s died in the incident on Tetbury Road, near Kemble.

Officers were called at around 3.15pm with reports of a large fallen tree on the A433 Tetbury Road near the A429 junction. The force appealed for witnesses today.

Huge waves crash against the pier at Seaham in County Durham this morning

A fallen tree at Greenwich Park in South East London today after it was blown over in the storm

A vehicle is driven through a flooded country lane at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

Flooding in York this morning where the River Ouse has broken its banks and risen again

A horse rider passes through the muddy copse at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

The Kings Arms pub in York today after the River Ouse broke its banks and flooded the city

Water logged country paths at first light in Dunsden, Oxfordshire, this morning

'Emergency services, including an air ambulance, attended the location which is between Tetbury and Cirencester,' a police spokesman said this morning.

'Despite the efforts of those at the scene a man aged in his fifties and from the Bath area died. His next of kin and the coroner have been informed.

'The road remains closed as recovery and investigation work continues and motorists are asked to find alternative routes.'

The Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents UK power network operators, said 125,000 customers had been reconnected since the storm damaged power lines yesterday.

As of 7am today, about 10,000 homes were without power.

Ross Easton from the ENA said: 'Some parts of the country have seen winds in excess of 80mph, and it's the debris carried by this intensive wind which has caused significant damage to power lines in places.

'Technicians have reconnected around 125,000 customers and work continues right now to reconnect the remaining 10,000 homes as quickly and safely as possible.'

The UK's rail network was hit by flooding and power cuts yesterday afternoon, with many operators reporting ongoing issues for the morning commute.

Greater Anglia said it was still experiencing 'severe disruption', with 'do not travel' warnings in place on routes in Norwich, Colchester, Peterborough and Cambridge[6].

A tree partially blocks a road today in Greenwich, South East London, after it was blown down

Flooding outside Primark at the Market Street tram stop in Manchester city centre today

A tree that landed on one car and upturned another on Nacton Road in Ipswich this morning

Meanwhile South Western Railway said disruption linked to the storm was likely continue throughout the day.

SWR chief operating officer Stuart Meek and Network Rail interim route director for Wessex Matt Pocock said: 'We are very sorry for the disruption customers experienced yesterday, due to the serious and widespread impact of Storm Henk.

'The severe winds led to trees on the line damaging or delaying trains in multiple locations across our network.

'We jointly took the decision to suspend running services for several hours to ensure the safety of all our customers and colleagues.

'This had a knock-on effect with delays and cancellations through the rest of the day. We expect disruption linked to this storm to continue through today because of trains and crews being displaced.

'We would urge everyone to check before they travel to see whether their train is running as planned. Once again, we're sorry for the disruption to your journey.'

Great Northern Rail said services would be delayed from Cambridge to Ely and Kings Lynn until 10am on Wednesday as they work to repair damaged overhead wires and remove a damaged train.

Southern Rail also said delays were expected with repairs ongoing between Uckfield, Buxted and Crowborough.

Great Western Railway said flooding due to the storm had blocked several parts of its network.

A fallen tree lands on a car in Forest Hill in South East London last night after Storm Henk hit

Scaffolding falls in Greenwich, South East London, last night after a wind warning was issued

Flooding near Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire means all lines are closed between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

Services between London Paddington and South Wales are being diverted, adding around 40 minutes to journey times.

Flooding also means the route between Liskeard and Looe is blocked, and some lines are closed between Totnes and Plymouth.

On the roads, National Highways said the A52 in Nottinghamshire was closed in both directions between the A60 (Nottingham[7] Knight roundabout) and the A606 (Edwalton) but one lane of the eastbound carriageway reopened this morning.

The westbound remains closed.

The A1 in Lincolnshire is closed northbound from the A52 (Grantham) and the B6326 (near Newark) because of standing water.

A tree blown lands on a car yesterday on Beckenham Grove in Bromley, South East London

Departure boards at London Paddington station were blank last night after a power outage

The A21 in East Sussex is closed in both directions between the A2100 (near Johns Cross) and the A28 (near Baldslow) because a fallen tree is resting on power cables above the road.

National Highways said: 'With more rain expected in many areas throughout the day, it is anticipated that the roads will remain closed for several hours.'

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received 140 flood-related calls in 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Leicestershire Police said a large number of homes were being affected by flooding in Loughborough, with police closing Belton Road from the junction of Jubilee Drive to Meadow Lane and A426 Lutterworth Road from Little Glen Road To Leicester Road Roundabout in Blaby.

Yesterday, a woman was injured by a falling tree in Orpington as high winds hit.

The Metropolitan Police[8] were called at 3.14pm to reports that a woman had been struck by a tree in Station Approach.

Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

The strongest gales were recorded at the Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight, where wind speeds reached 94mph.

Gusts of 81mph were reached at Exeter Airport in Devon, and top winds hit 71mph at the Isle of Portland[9] in Dorset and also at Mumbles Head in Glamorgan.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to The Ford in Kenilworth yesterday to rescue a motorist who got stuck trying to drive through flood water.

In Greenwich, a large panel of scaffolding fell from either side of a building on Creek Road due to the heavy winds.

Marketing manager Josh Hargreaves, 30, said he and his boyfriend had watched the scaffolding 'pretty much swaying in the wind' before falling from the front of the building at around 3.40pm.

Then, an hour later, scaffolding fell from the back of the building as well.

References

1. ^ Mark Duell (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Met Office (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ Sadiq Khan (www.dailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ BBC News (www.bbc.co.uk)
6. ^ Cambridge (www.dailymail.co.uk)
7. ^ Nottingham (www.dailymail.co.uk)
8. ^ Metropolitan Police (www.dailymail.co.uk)
9. ^ Portland (www.dailymail.co.uk)