This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2019/nov/08/uk-flooding-yorkshire-midlands-wettest-day-flood-warnings
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| UK flooding: Sheffield shoppers tell of night in mall as heavy rain forecast for Yorkshire and Midlands – live news | UK flooding: Sheffield shoppers tell of night in mall as heavy rain forecast for Yorkshire and Midlands – live news |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Met Office says 117 flood warnings in place after downpours continued through the night | Met Office says 117 flood warnings in place after downpours continued through the night |
| Stranded shoppers who were forced to camp out the entire night had to resort to buying spare clothes from Primark as they sheltered from the floods. | |
| Student Saskia Hazelwood, 17, from Doncaster, who was among those trapped in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre until 7am, told how she took refuge on sofas in M&S. | |
| Her father tried to reach the shopping centre by car to rescue her but had to abort his effort because of the flood water. Hazelwood says shoppers were provided with free refreshments throughout the night but complained it was “not enough”. | |
| She told PA news agency: “When we got to Meadowhall it was very hectic and we heard about the flooding and saw the river about to burst. | |
| “Our trains were then cancelled so we went to get food, then spoke to the police and security and they told us it was unsafe to leave and there was no way of getting in or out. | |
| “So we instantly started panicking and, when we found out there was no way of getting home, we went into Primark and all bought spare clothes and we bought food and drinks to keep us going throughout the night. | |
| “We were in M&S for a while on the sofas until they closed the store, and we were then moved to the Oasis food quarter. We were there until 7am.” | |
| Meanwhile, a photojournalist tweeted footage of river flood defences being breached near Meadowhall last night: | |
| Hazelwood added: “We were provided with free refreshments throughout the night and morning but it was certainly not enough. | |
| “We had to basically camp out in the food area until they finally got a taxi to us at 7am.“None of us had slept for over 24 hours. We were very tired, stressed and, of course, our families were panicking and kept keeping in touch. | |
| “My dad even tried driving to us around 11.30pm but, because the centre was gridlocked and also flooded and shut off, he wasn’t able to get to us and so he had to turn around and go home. | |
| “At the start we thought it would be fun, a nice sleepover, something to certainly remember, but after 14 hours of being stranded in Meadowhall we just couldn’t wait to get home, get into our own beds, feel safe again, and catch up on sleep.” | |
| My colleague, Rachel Obordo, the Guardian’s community editor, wants to hear from you. If you have been affected by the flooding in Yorkshire and the Midlands and would like to share your experiences and weather-related travel problems, then please do so via the Guardian’s form here. It is encrypted and your responses are seen only by the Guardian. You can also contact us via WhatsApp by clicking here or adding the contact +44(0)7867825056. | My colleague, Rachel Obordo, the Guardian’s community editor, wants to hear from you. If you have been affected by the flooding in Yorkshire and the Midlands and would like to share your experiences and weather-related travel problems, then please do so via the Guardian’s form here. It is encrypted and your responses are seen only by the Guardian. You can also contact us via WhatsApp by clicking here or adding the contact +44(0)7867825056. |
| Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security is most important. When responding and particularly if taking photographs or video please make sure you put your safety and the safety of others first. Bad weather can be unpredictable and carries very real risks. | Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security is most important. When responding and particularly if taking photographs or video please make sure you put your safety and the safety of others first. Bad weather can be unpredictable and carries very real risks. |
| Sky’s Steph Oliver has made it through flood water to assess the scene this morning in Rotherham’s town centre: | Sky’s Steph Oliver has made it through flood water to assess the scene this morning in Rotherham’s town centre: |
| A determined lone commuter wades through waist-high flood water with his bike. Asked if he was cold, he replied that his bike will keep him warm. That’s the spirit. | A determined lone commuter wades through waist-high flood water with his bike. Asked if he was cold, he replied that his bike will keep him warm. That’s the spirit. |
| “I would have turned back if I felt the current was too strong,” Michael the cyclist tells Sky. | “I would have turned back if I felt the current was too strong,” Michael the cyclist tells Sky. |
| The River Don is following very high near the city’s train station: | The River Don is following very high near the city’s train station: |
| More from the trapped shoppers last night as 12-year-old Dakota Hallam tells a reporter how she was stuck at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield. | More from the trapped shoppers last night as 12-year-old Dakota Hallam tells a reporter how she was stuck at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield. |
| The schoolgirl told LBC yesterday: “I don’t know how long but we’ve been here absolutely ages.” | The schoolgirl told LBC yesterday: “I don’t know how long but we’ve been here absolutely ages.” |
| She added: “We’ve asked Greggs [the shop] if they were going to stay overnight and they’re staying overnight so we might as well.” | She added: “We’ve asked Greggs [the shop] if they were going to stay overnight and they’re staying overnight so we might as well.” |
| Meanwhile, Hannah Crossley, who was also trapped at the shopping centre, tweeted this video that apparently showed the scene outside Meadowhall last night: | Meanwhile, Hannah Crossley, who was also trapped at the shopping centre, tweeted this video that apparently showed the scene outside Meadowhall last night: |
| She later tweeted that she had made it home: | She later tweeted that she had made it home: |
| Meadowhall, which says it is reopening at 10am this morning, said at 10.46pm last night that the “majority of customers left the building” but that there were “a small number of people who have chosen to stay with us for now”. | Meadowhall, which says it is reopening at 10am this morning, said at 10.46pm last night that the “majority of customers left the building” but that there were “a small number of people who have chosen to stay with us for now”. |
| Flooding has sparked huge transport disruption today, leaving thousands of commuters facing a battle to get to work. | Flooding has sparked huge transport disruption today, leaving thousands of commuters facing a battle to get to work. |
| Train operators are warning passengers not to travel on a series of routes through Yorkshire – particularly in the Sheffield area – and between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale in the north-west. | Train operators are warning passengers not to travel on a series of routes through Yorkshire – particularly in the Sheffield area – and between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale in the north-west. |
| Network Rail, which owns Britain’s rail infrastructure, said track inspections would take place “where possible”. | Network Rail, which owns Britain’s rail infrastructure, said track inspections would take place “where possible”. |
| Northern rail warned disruption could continue into the weekend despite the weather improving in many areas. The company has issued an update on blocked lines: | Northern rail warned disruption could continue into the weekend despite the weather improving in many areas. The company has issued an update on blocked lines: |
| A spokesman told PA Media: “We are still advising customers on several routes not to travel as flooding is making rail and road travel extremely difficult. | A spokesman told PA Media: “We are still advising customers on several routes not to travel as flooding is making rail and road travel extremely difficult. |
| “Colleagues at Network Rail are inspecting the tracks and working hard to return them to normal, but at present we have no estimate as to when we will be able to operate services on the affected routes.” | “Colleagues at Network Rail are inspecting the tracks and working hard to return them to normal, but at present we have no estimate as to when we will be able to operate services on the affected routes.” |
| Other train companies hit by the weather include CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, LNER, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales and Virgin Trains. | Other train companies hit by the weather include CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, LNER, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales and Virgin Trains. |
| The BBC weather forecaster Simon King gives a good summary of the numbers on rainfall in south Yorkshire as of 7.45am. Meanwhile, readers can view the Environment Agency’s flood warnings in their area and across the country here, which are updated constantly. | The BBC weather forecaster Simon King gives a good summary of the numbers on rainfall in south Yorkshire as of 7.45am. Meanwhile, readers can view the Environment Agency’s flood warnings in their area and across the country here, which are updated constantly. |
| And for those wondering how the weather will fare later, King tweets: | And for those wondering how the weather will fare later, King tweets: |
| One villager near Sheffield described how he had a sea of water across his carpets in his home this morning following the rain – and up to four feet outside. | One villager near Sheffield described how he had a sea of water across his carpets in his home this morning following the rain – and up to four feet outside. |
| James Barber, who lives in the village of Whiston, near Sheffield in south Yorkshire, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This morning it seems to have subsided quite a bit. It got to its peak at around two o’clock this morning. In our house it got to about seven inches or so in the lower levels.” | James Barber, who lives in the village of Whiston, near Sheffield in south Yorkshire, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This morning it seems to have subsided quite a bit. It got to its peak at around two o’clock this morning. In our house it got to about seven inches or so in the lower levels.” |
| Asked if he had a sea of water across his floors and carpets, he replied: “Yes, absolutely,” adding: “But outside, in the yard, in the drive, it got to about four feet.” | Asked if he had a sea of water across his floors and carpets, he replied: “Yes, absolutely,” adding: “But outside, in the yard, in the drive, it got to about four feet.” |
| He continued: “I moved my car out earlier on and I’m really glad I did because we thought that the pinnacle of it was at around three o’clock yesterday afternoon.” | He continued: “I moved my car out earlier on and I’m really glad I did because we thought that the pinnacle of it was at around three o’clock yesterday afternoon.” |
| An emergency contractor from Streets Ahead, which has been helping local residents overnight, also told the programme: “We’ve got teams our there. They’ve been supporting members of the public providing sandbags. We’ve been taking people out of their cars that’ve been flooded, trying to remove those flood waters from roads to allow people to commute through the city.” | An emergency contractor from Streets Ahead, which has been helping local residents overnight, also told the programme: “We’ve got teams our there. They’ve been supporting members of the public providing sandbags. We’ve been taking people out of their cars that’ve been flooded, trying to remove those flood waters from roads to allow people to commute through the city.” |
| The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has tweeted about the floods this morning: | The prime minister, Boris Johnson, has tweeted about the floods this morning: |
| Sheffield city council has issued an update on road closures as of 7am. Rotherham council did the same last night at 1.55am. | Sheffield city council has issued an update on road closures as of 7am. Rotherham council did the same last night at 1.55am. |
| Meanwhile, Derbyshire olice have issued a warning about motorists driving in flood water: | Meanwhile, Derbyshire olice have issued a warning about motorists driving in flood water: |
| Nearly a month’s worth of rainfall has fallen in Sheffield in 24 hours, according to the Met Office. | Nearly a month’s worth of rainfall has fallen in Sheffield in 24 hours, according to the Met Office. |
| The forecaster told the Guardian 75.6mm of rain fell in the city up to 6am this morning, compared with a monthly average for the whole of November in Yorkshire of 89.7mm. | The forecaster told the Guardian 75.6mm of rain fell in the city up to 6am this morning, compared with a monthly average for the whole of November in Yorkshire of 89.7mm. |
| Five severe flood warnings remain in place, 117 flood warnings and 121 flood alerts. | Five severe flood warnings remain in place, 117 flood warnings and 121 flood alerts. |
| The Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “Over the last 24 hours it’s been a very wet. It’s come after a wetter than average October so it’s almost been the worst possible combination for Sheffield. | The Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “Over the last 24 hours it’s been a very wet. It’s come after a wetter than average October so it’s almost been the worst possible combination for Sheffield. |
| “It’s been a very wet autumn and yesterday was extremely wet, almost a month’s worth of rain falling in 24 hours over an urban area. It’s never a good combination. That’s why we are seeing the flooding across parts of Sheffield.” | “It’s been a very wet autumn and yesterday was extremely wet, almost a month’s worth of rain falling in 24 hours over an urban area. It’s never a good combination. That’s why we are seeing the flooding across parts of Sheffield.” |
| Good morning, folks. Simon Murphy here, I’ll be liveblogging the latest developments in Yorkshire and the Midlands, where torrential rain has caused flooding that has led to chaos overnight. Hundreds of shoppers were trapped in shopping centres in both Sheffield and Rotherham. | Good morning, folks. Simon Murphy here, I’ll be liveblogging the latest developments in Yorkshire and the Midlands, where torrential rain has caused flooding that has led to chaos overnight. Hundreds of shoppers were trapped in shopping centres in both Sheffield and Rotherham. |
| Many homes have been forced to evacuate and 116 flood warnings remain in place, the majority of them in Yorkshire. | Many homes have been forced to evacuate and 116 flood warnings remain in place, the majority of them in Yorkshire. |
| The Met Office predicts flooding rains will clear, moving south-east by lunchtime. But, as the clean-up operation begins, flood warnings are expected to remain in place for several days. | The Met Office predicts flooding rains will clear, moving south-east by lunchtime. But, as the clean-up operation begins, flood warnings are expected to remain in place for several days. |