Cars trapped as major flash floods strike and Met Office issue urgent warning
Major flash floods have struck down towns across the South West with severe rainfall causing havoc, following Met Office weather warnings for thunderstorms.
A bridge crossing over a river in Dawlish, in Devon, South West England, was totally submerged after a huge downpour of rain hit the southwest of England. Residents were stranded on either side of the road as water gushed down the road at pace - with many businesses and homes flooded due to the extreme weather. Exeter Airport was also forced to close after flooding affected the terminal, with all flights cancelled.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “Following Sunday afternoon’s flash flooding which caused the closure of the airport, our teams are working through the night cleaning up and we expect to be open tomorrow morning, Monday.
“Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the very latest information about their flight, and please bear with us while we do our very best to return all airport operations to normal.” Elsewhere in Exeter, IKEA was flooded with a video showing people wading through the ankle-deep water to get to their cars.
It comes after the Met Office issued an amber warning, and it was reported that half a month’s rain could fall in just one hour. They warned there could be a danger to life due to a high risk of fast-flowing and deep flood water. Power cuts were also reported across nearly 100 postcodes in Devon.
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Major flash flooding has covered a large area in gushing water (Coast Cams)The Met Office also warned that homes and shops might be flooded due to the severe downpour and told residents in the area to expect power cuts. The amber warning was in place until 4pm on Sunday and was followed by a yellow warning in place until 6pm. In Dawlish, pictured above, and other towns, police cordoned off road sections to protect residents from the flooding and traffic getting stuck.
A restaurant worker at Dawlish and Grill told the Mirror they "literally just" avoided total flooding, with the water going right up to the pavement outside - but the neighbouring shops weren't so lucky. He said: "A few other shops are flooded, the vape shop, the gift shop, the corner shop, the ice cream shop, they were all flooded." None of the above-mentioned shops were available to talk when contacted by the Mirror.
Tye, who works in Sea Breeze restaurant in Dawlish, told the Mirror: "Our manager came down and used a stick to get rid of the blockages in the sewers. Police came and blocked the road off, so no cars came by. But we got a little bit busy because people were standing round, not sure what to do."
Firefighters have been tackling flooding in Exeter (DevonLive)Police blasted “lunatic” drivers who were driving fast in the middle of a torrential downpour. The M5 around junction 31 near Exminster, Devon, saw lane closures and traffic congestion - after flooding turned the motorway into a large pond.
A traffic cop said: "The rain is so heavy it is forming small lakes on some stretches of the motorway, yet some drivers are still tearing along at over 70mph. They can't see ahead because of the blinding spray, and if they hit one of the sheets of water, their car will aquaplane and take off. It’s a tragic accident waiting to happen. - they're lunatics who could kill other people as well as themselves."
Traffic chaos extended around the county as towns were left in complete gridlock due to flooded streets. SomersetLive reported that Taunton was one of the worst hit - one resident said the railway bridge in Taunton was flooded, with cars turning around to avoid the gridlock.
Further north, a lightning strike in the midlands caused chaos as it resulted in a points system failure - with disruption particularly hitting festival goers at Radio 2 In the Park in Leicester. The organisers said there were "no trains" and asked people to "consider alternative transport".
Heavy rain has covered large parts of the South West today (WXCHARTS)260 homes near Swansea and many near Falmouth, Cornwall, were entirely blacked out as thunder and lightning hit the area. One Devon resident narrowly escaped injury after a lightning bolt struck the house.
Firefighters attended the scene and said: "This morning at 1.44am we were called along with Ashburton Fire Station to reports of a house struck by lightning in Totnes. The crews used two breathing apparatus to check the upstairs of the property due to a strong smell of burning. It was evident a large surge had gone through the house and plug sockets had blown off of the wall, light switches were affected and a lamp was shattered."
An apocalyptic-looking sea has been affected by a torrential downpour (Coast Cams)Firefighters also attended another home nearby which had been entirely flooded.
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"We had difficulty in reaching the property due to localised flooding so two firefighters donned water safety PPE and waded to the house to support the occupant. We utilised small tools, buckets and shovels to remove the majority of the water. We then installed the occupants flood defence barrier to prevent further flooding from the rain that is forecast today."
Paignton Zoo was also forced to close due to the flooding. A local resident said: "It was a nightmare and happened so quickly. We have all been out clearing drains and luckily the water has dispersed."
Fire and Rescue services had to save people struggling at home - including one home which was struck by lightning (Buckfastleigh Fire Station)
Road closures have been common all across the South West today (Lewis Clarke / DevonLive)Before the flash floods, Met Office Chief Forecaster Steve Willington said: “Some within the warning area could see torrential rain, perhaps even reaching 40mm of rainfall within the hour. Later in the warning period there is a risk of large hail, frequent lightning and gusty winds.”
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