UK weather: Major incident declared as 84mph Storm Herminia and 60mm rainfall force homeowners to flee ‘biblical’ storms
- Has your home or business been impacted by the floods? E-mail [email protected]
Published: 22:04, 27 January 2025 | Updated: 01:35, 29 January 2025
Residents and businesses have been forced to flee their homes after 'biblical' storms washed away parts of Somerset as further flood warnings loom on the horizon.
Gusts of 84mph and almost 60mm of rainfall have battered parts of the UK after a major incident was declared in Somerset as the streets were flooded.
Over 100 people have been evacuated from their homes in Somerset, with more than 30 flood warnings in effect across England as the UK recovers from Storm Eowyn.
Hundreds of homes were left without power as torrential rain poured down on southwest England on Sunday.
Somerset Council and police jointly declared a major incident in the region which was still in force on Monday evening.
Shocking footage showed water level peering over a door's window panel, whilst some one Sainsbury's[2] resorted to attempting to brush the brown water out the door.
In other clips, roads turned into rivers as water blanketed the streets in parts of the southwest region.
A local woman found several 'huge carp' washed up in the wet flooded fields of Shepton Beauchamp.
SOMERSET: Residents and businesses have been forced to flee their homes after 'biblical' storms washed away parts of Somerset as further flood warnings loom on the horizon
SOMERSET: Over 100 people have been evacuated from their homes in Somerset, with more than 30 flood warnings in effect across England as the UK recovers from Storm Eowyn
SOMERSET: One resident saw the flood levels rise just beneath the first window panel of their door yesterday
SOMERSET: Sainsbury's supermarket workers tirelessly brush out the floods of water engulfing their store today
SOMERSET: Somerset Council and police jointly declared a major incident in the region which was still in force on Monday evening
SOMERSET: One salon was left devastated by the torrential rain as brown water submerged the business floor
A rain warning is active until midnight tonight, while the wind warning expires at 6am tomorrow
Heavy rain and strong winds caused flooding in Somerset, England today (January 26, 2025). Flood warning alerts issued by National government regarding where flooding is possible.
Visuals of floods affected areas around Somerset. pic.twitter.com/xhVaDRb5sD[3]
-- RenderNature (@RenderNature) January 26, 2025[4]'It just kept on rising and the second it breached the bags it just flew in through the back door, through the side door everywhere,' Ilminster local, Ben Perham, told BBC Somerset
'We've been here 12 years. We've seen floods like that but this was the worst. I think the speed at which it happened and the depth as well - it was just the combination.'
Other images of the aftermath showed crisps floating on a shop floor submerged in floodwater.
Cars also tried to chance their way through as the flood water engulfed towns and villages in Somerset.
Some were seen abandoned their vehicles trekking through the knee-deep waters.
Residents living in Somerton, Chard and Ilminster are among the hardest hit, with 16 schools temporarily shutting their doors due to the flooding.
A council spokesman said: 'Following intense rainfall across the region at the weekend, several parts of Somerset were flooded on Sunday afternoon, including roads and some homes in the centre of Chard and Ilminster.
'With further heavy rainfall expected to fall in the early hours of Monday morning, a major incident was called and a decision was made to carry out precautionary evacuations for residents living in properties in the worst affected areas, as well as a caravan site thought to be at risk.
'Rest centres were set up in Chard, Ilminster and Somerton, and all the relevant agencies will continue to work to keep residents safe.'
Somerton Fire Station said 61 people were rescued from flooded properties, including from a mobile home site in Charlton Adam, and temporarily relocated to Edgar Community Hall.
Flooding at a hairdressers in Chard and the aftermath.
Businesses and homes in the centre have been hit by "biblical" rain over the weekend. Dozens in the county evacuated in the early hours and a major incident declared by Somerset County Council. @LBCNews pic.twitter.com/CFgx6KWsD6[5][6]
-- Heather Cartwright (@HL_Cartwright) January 27, 2025[7]
Ilminster local, Ben Perham (pictured), told BBC Somerset said the floods were the worst he has seen in 12 years
SOMERSET: Some vehicles were abandoned as drivers struggled to get through the murky waters
SOMERSET: Heavy rain pouring leaving the streets and roads engulfed in rain yesterday
SOMERSET: The 'biblical' showers saw one woman find several 'huge carp' in the wet fields in the southwest
The Environment Agency has issued 173 flood alerts (in amber) and 51 warnings (in red) today
The forecast path and wind strength of Storm Herminia at 3pm this afternoon is shown
Heavy showers and strong, blustery winds continuing in the south this evening with thunderstorms at times Outbreaks of showery rain and clear spells elsewhere ? pic.twitter.com/B1MdC0NxX4[8]
-- Met Office (@metoffice) January 27, 2025[9]Local MP Sarah Dyke appealed for available first aiders to make their way to the hall and for suppliers of portable beds and bedding to get in touch.
A series of weather warnings are in place to cover the potential impacts from the less powerful Storm Herminia, a low pressure system named by meteorologists in Spain[10], which is expected to feel the strongest winds.
A yellow alert for rain was issued by the Met Office on Monday morning covering parts of southern England until 10am on Tuesday, with heavy rain, possible thunderstorms and flooding expected.
Another yellow warning for rain is in place until 9pm on Tuesday covering large swathes of Wales and parts of the West Midlands.
And a yellow wind alert is in force until 6am on Tuesday for southern England aswell as parts of Wales.
Since the weather warning period began on Sunday morning until 4pm on Monday, the highest rainfall recorded was 59.4mm in Seathwaite in Cumbria, while the second highest was 56.4mm in Goren Farm in Devon, the Met Office said.
On Monday, winds of 84mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight, with 77mph in Aberdaron in Wales and 74mph on the Isles of Scilly, the forecaster added.
Elsewhere in Milford-on-Sea in Hampshite, a group of 16 woorden beach huts took a pounding from the ferocious seas.
The destruction came after the latest storm swept in with up to 70mph gusts and three inches of rain on Sunday night, following the chaos caused by Storm Eowyn.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said the rain warnings are suggesting further flooding is possible until Tuesday evening.
HAMPSHIRE: The destruction came after Storm Hermania swept in with up to 70mph gusts and three inches of rain on Sunday night, following the chaos caused by Storm Eowyn.
HAMPSHIRE: The huts at Hordle Cliff in Milford-on-Sea were part of a group of 16 wooden cabins that took a pounding from the ferocious seas on Sunday.
OXFORD: Cars drive through the flood waters in the country lanes following stormy weather on January 27
Motorists drive through flooding on the A3 at New Malden in South West London this morning
OXFORD: Vehicles make their way through a flooded country lane in Dunsden this morning
He said: 'The trend over the next few days is for things to gradually improve a bit.
'These warnings for rain are suggesting further flooding is quite possible, especially within the warning area.
'On Wednesday and Thursday it will be mostly fine, there's a small chance the far south of England see some further rain moving in, which we're keeping an eye on.'
Scotland is recovering from the effects of Storm Eowyn, which brought winds of 100mph to Drumalbin in the eleventh highest maximum gust[11] since the Met Office started naming storms in 2015.
ScotRail's service delivery director Mark Ilderton said Network Rail have responded to more than 500 separate incidents across the entire rail network, including removing over 120 trees that fell onto the railway.
'I'm really pleased that as of this morning the majority of our routes have now reopened,' he said in an update on Monday morning.
'There are still a number of other lines of route that require further repairs.'
LONDON: A person using an umbrella in the rain while walking in Shoreditch, East London, today
KENT: Waves crash over the harbour wall in Folkestone today as stormy weather continues
Avanti West Coast said services to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh had resumed, but warned of late starts and possible delays on Scottish routes.
Around 56,000 customers remained without electricity across Northern Ireland on Monday afternoon, according to Northern Ireland Electricity Networks, while Northern Powergrid reported around 500 customers remaining without power on Monday evening.
Steve McDonald, director of field operations for Northern Powergrid, said: 'We know how hard it is to be without power, and I'm sorry that some of our customers have had to manage for three nights without it.
We will not stop until everyone is back on.
'Our welfare teams will still be out in the communities most affected today and we'll ensure there are hot food vans and additional support for those who need it most.'
The company also announced those without power in Durham and Northumberland can use council leisure centres to freshen up or have a hot drink.
WalesWeather[12][13]References
- ^ SHANNON MCGUIGAN (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Sainsbury's (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/xhVaDRb5sD (t.co)
- ^ January 26, 2025 (twitter.com)
- ^ @LBCNews (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/CFgx6KWsD6 (t.co)
- ^ January 27, 2025 (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/B1MdC0NxX4 (t.co)
- ^ January 27, 2025 (twitter.com)
- ^ Spain (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ brought winds of 100mph to Drumalbin in the eleventh highest maximum gust (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Wales (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Weather (www.dailymail.co.uk)