In the wake of unprecedented rainfall, England has experienced significant travel disruptions due to flooding. Over the past 24 hours, some areas have received over a month’s worth of rain, leading to widespread road and rail interruptions.
Woburn in Bedfordshire recorded a staggering 132mm of rainfall in the last 48 hours, more than double the average for September, as reported by the Met Office. Heavy rainfall has also impacted Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Northamptonshire, where totals exceeded 100mm in the same period.
Despite a brief respite on Tuesday, the Environment Agency has issued 35 flood warnings across England, signaling ongoing flood risks.
Additionally, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for Thursday, covering much of the northeast, indicating that heavy rain may cause further disruptions.
National Highways struggles with 8-foot water levels on A421, train services face delays.Flooding has been particularly severe on the A421 in Bedfordshire, where submerged vehicles have been reported, with water levels reaching up to 8 feet.
National Highways has indicated that the road’s reopening timeline remains uncertain as efforts continue to pump away the water and recover abandoned vehicles.
The River Nene overflowed in Northampton on Tuesday morning, prompting emergency rescues from narrowboats and the evacuation of a university residence due to basement flooding.
High water levels were also observed on the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire, with alerts for imminent flooding in place.
Train services have been heavily disrupted, with flooding between Rugby and Milton Keynes affecting Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway lines.
The Marston Vale line, serving Bedford and Bletchley, will remain suspended until Monday. National Grid teams reported handling a week’s worth of power outages over the weekend.
Tuesday’s weather brings drier conditions but colder temperatures, with Scotland and northern England experiencing isolated heavy showers and potential thunderstorms. River levels are expected to normalize as the day progresses, with temperatures remaining in the mid-teens.
While further weather warnings are unlikely, a gradual cooling trend will continue through Wednesday and Thursday, with no frost anticipated due to persistent cloud cover.