Heavy rain has caused significant disruptions to Easter weekend events across the UK. The Met Office has forecasted more rainfall throughout the bank holiday weekend, with travel disruptions expected as a band of heavy rain moves through England and Wales on Monday.
On Saturday morning, the Environment Agency issued 17 flood warnings for Wiltshire and Gloucestershire and 132 flood alerts for southern England due to persistent heavy rainfall.
Worcestershire County Cricket Club’s grounds were flooded, and horse racing at Musselburgh Racecourse near Edinburgh was canceled due to a waterlogged track.
Craig Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, advised that Saturday would be the best day for sunshine in England and Wales.
Met Office warns of ongoing heavy rain and travel disruptions across England and Wales.However, conditions will deteriorate by the afternoon, with Monday expected to be particularly wet. The heaviest rain is anticipated from Yorkshire southwards, and the Met Office monitors the situation for potential weather warnings.
Easter Sunday will see a band of rain move from the North Sea into England and Wales, bringing grey skies and light rain, with heavier rain expected to persist through Monday.
In contrast, Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to experience brighter weather over the weekend. Snell recommended allowing extra travel time on Monday due to expected poor conditions.
Musselburgh’s premier race meeting, featuring the £100,000 Virgin Bet Queen’s Cup, was canceled as the track could not handle the excessive rain.
Course manager Bill Farnsworth noted that despite Musselburgh’s usual resilience to rain, the unusually high water table made the ground too saturated. The cancellation also affected planned family events, including the annual corgi derby.