Heavy rain in UK poses danger after fatal mudslide
More heavy rain in the UK could cause danger to life and travel disruption after a person died in a mudslide on Wednesday, the British Met Office has warned.
Showers will continue to batter parts of the UK as yellow and amber warnings for rain remain in place across the country on Thursday.
On Wednesday, North Yorkshire Police said a person died following a mudslide in Carlton-in-Cleveland at around 1.15 p.m.
In a statement, the police said, “We can confirm that one person has sadly died as a result of the incident.
“Our thoughts are with their family and friends during this difficult time.”
The Met Office said the area had seen almost a month’s worth of rain in the past day, with 41.6 millimetres of rain recorded over the last 24 hours in Loftus, a town 20 miles (32 kilometres) away.
Simon Partridge, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: “The average monthly rainfall for May in North Yorkshire is 57.5mm, so they’ve almost had a month’s worth of rainfall today.”
Carlisle in Cumbria experienced the worst of the rainfall, with 65.6 millimetres falling over the previous 24 hours.
The UK Environment Agency has issued a severe flood warning for the rivers Roe and Ive from High Bridge to Stockdalewath, south of Carlisle.
The warning says flooding will be rapid due to rapidly rising water levels.
A further 22 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, have been issued across England, with one in Scotland.
Partridge said there was still quite a long way to go until the rain was due to stop, with wet weather expected to continue in the area until Thursday evening.
An amber warning for rain has been in place across parts of North Wales and north-west England, including Manchester and Liverpool, since midday on Wednesday.
A yellow warning for rain covers the north of England, the Midlands, and north and central Wales until 6:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Another is in place for southern and eastern Scotland until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
“Fast-flowing or deep floodwater that may cause danger to life is likely.
“Heavy rainfall may also cause delays and cancellations to public transport services, difficult driving conditions, and power cuts,” the forecaster said.
Regarding staying safe in wet weather, Partridge said: “Although it may not look too bad when you leave home, it could turn much heavier once you’re out and about.
“So, the best thing is to plan your trips, and if you don’t need to go, the best advice is to try and avoid it.
“Keep an eye on your local warnings from the Environment Agency, which are just as important as ours as well.”
He added that the forecast for the upcoming bank holiday weekend was looking "uncertain, but the weather seemed to be getting better.”
On Wednesday evening, the Environment Agency had five flood warnings and 111 flood alerts in place across England.
