Floods spark residents to leave cars abandoned in road after UK thunderstorms

09 July 2023 , 12:19

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Cars were submerged following thunderstorms (Image: Ryan Gillett WS)

Motorists have been forced to abandon their cars in flooded streets after the UK was battered by thunderstorms yesterday.

Some roads were made inaccessible due to a spell of heavy rain, with vehicles stranded due to deep water in parts of the country.

Lancashire was among the areas experiencing thunder and lightning yesterday - and in some places, drains were unable to cope.

Pictures showed Ronaldsway in Preston left underwater at the bottom of its hill.

Those living nearby were seen standing on walls to avoid the flood water while cars risked driving through the water.

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Emergency services rescue a woman from her vehicle after it got stranded on a flooded road in Mossley Hill, Liverpool (PA)

Elsewhere, cars were abandoned in the street as deeper water was left standing on Wigan Road in Euxton, reports sent to LancsLive.

Lancashire County Council sent teams to unblock the drains, with a spokesperson confirming: "We're currently dealing with a flooding incident along the A49 Wigan Road in Euxton, Chorley, following today's thunderstorms.

"The road is closed and motorists are advised to avoid the area. A gully wagon is on the scene & we hope to open the road up later this evening." Around an hour and a half later, the road was reopened.

While there is no weather warning in place from the Met Office for Lancashire, more heavy rain and thunder is expected on Sunday afternoon.

Cars drive through a flooded road after heavy rain in Speke, Liverpool (PA)

There was a yellow weather warning for Wales, Northern Ireland, and the southwest of England, however. The weather warning runs until Sunday evening.

Heavy showers are also expected to fall across the Midlands on Sunday afternoon.

Temperatures are expected to stay a little lower compared to Saturday with highs of 25C and 26C in England.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "Those showers continue to rumble on through Sunday evening, some heavy bursts possible but they do ease by the end of the day.

A man is caught in heavy rain in Speke, Liverpool (PA)

"And then, overnight, it's generally dry for most with clear spells (and) just a scattering of showers, largely in the south and the west, just one or two across north-east Scotland as well."

A bright start is then predicted for Monday for most parts of the UK with lots of sunny spells forecast but that is expected to be followed by spells of heavy rain in western parts.

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Mr Dewhurst said: "We will see a risk an increasing risk of some heavy rain through western parts of the UK, a little bit of uncertainty over where this main band of rain will end up by Monday afternoon.

Jamie Lopez