STORM SURGE UK hit by flash floods after Storm Alex brings MONTH’S worth of rain as river bursts its banks in Wales
STORM Alex has battered Britain leaving a trail of destruction and flash-flooding in its wake.
A river in Wales burst its banks after an entire MONTH’S worth of rain fell in some parts of the UK.
There are currently 21 flood warnings and 83 flood alerts in place across the country.
Abergwyngregyn in wales was hit hard today as the river burst its banks.
A road is closed as officials scramble to deal with the incident and one resident reported several sheep have disappeared.
Footage shows the roaring river bubbling over its banks, with plumes of murky brown water jetting dangerously close to homes and gardens.
Meanwhile floodwaters in England have caused road issues and disrupted public transport.
Floodwaters of up to 4ft were recorded in the southeast with London and Essex badly affected.
Somerset saw more than half a foot of rain in the Blackpitts Gate area, and the Met Office issued severe weather warnings for the first time in more than six months.
And Gadebridge Park in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, was also completely submerged today and Saturday following the unrelenting downpours.
Officials could be seen assessing damage as floodwater lapped at front doors and engulfed gardens.
Areas of Northumberland also saw flooding with pictures showing ankle-deep water seeping into frustrated resident’s trousers.
And amber “danger to life” warnings for parts of the West Midlands, west and south-west England and most of Wales have been extended until midday today.
They were due to expire around 6am this morning but continuous heavy rain has sparked fears there could be further disruption caused by rainfall today.
Meanwhile, drivers in West Lothian in Scotland had to be rescued after they became stuck in knee-deep floodwaters.
Pictures show emergency workers helping one man into a bright green dinghy, the entire bottom of his car submerged in chilly waters.
And today hundreds of fitness fanatics braved the miserable conditions to head out on the 40th London Marathon – taking place virtually this year due to coronaviurs.
Runners could be seen sporting soaked cagoules over their gym kits as they pounded the soggy pavements.
A small group of elite athletes including Mo Farrah were allowed to run the course, pounding pavements for more than 19.8 laps in a fenced-off ‘controlled secure biosphere’ around St James’s Park in London.
Twitter users expressed fears some parts of would need to be rerouted due to giant puddles and rising water levels.
And last night boozy Brits were seen enjoying a rainy night out on the town despite the wet weather
Large crowds of people were seen in Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, London and Liverpool last night.
Despite soaring Covid-19 rates in the North there was little social distancing.
Storm Alex is drenching the UK, with amber weather warnings for rain in place for Wales, the West Midlands, South West England and also parts of Scotland.
It marks the first time that amber warnings have been issued for rain since March.
Yesterday, Meteorologist John Griffiths said: “There’s still a lot of wet weather to get through today and into tonight, so we haven’t really seen the worst of it yet.”
Forecasters ominously predicted yesterday that the “worst is yet to come” from Storm Alex.
Courtesy of thesun.co.uk
Storm Alex: Two dead and nine missing after heavy rain batters France and Italy
A storm in France and Italy has caused severe flooding and at least two people are dead and nine are missing with hundreds of rescues taking place.
The UK has been hit by the fringes of the storm, with heavy rain and winds set to persist throughout the weekend.
In France, Nice and its surrounding areas were the hardest hit overnight as 500mm (20ins) of rain was recorded over 12 hours in some areas, according to Meteo France.
That amounts to nearly a year’s worth of average rainfall, more than on 3 October 2015 when 20 people died in floods in Cannes and the surrounding area on the French Riviera.
In the village of Sambughetto, in the northwest Italian region of Piedmont, a record 630mm (24.8ins) of rain fell in 24 hours.
Roads have been swept away and homes have been badly damaged in the mountainous region on the border of France and Italy.
French authorities said firefighters were looking for at least eight people who are missing.
They include two firefighters whose vehicle was carried away by a swollen river.
Christian Estrosi, Nice’s mayor, expressed his “sympathy” for the families of those missing and said the flooding was the worst in the area for more than a century, adding that he was shocked by what he saw when he flew over the scene in a helicopter.
He said more than 100 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged.
Firefighters said several dozen people were evacuated from their homes overnight.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he is thinking of the victims and their loved ones as he expressed his gratitude for rescue workers.
“Together, we will get through this,” he tweeted.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin are expected to arrive in the area later on Saturday.
The storm caused heavy winds of more than 112mph (180kph) in Brittany between Thursday and Friday.
In Italy, a firefighter was killed after he was hit by a falling tree and another man died after his car was swept into a river when the road subsided. Another Italian was missing as night fell.
There were fears the storm would bring flooding, with the water level in the Po river, one of northern Italy’s biggest rivers, rising by 3 metres.
In Venice, the Italian city’s long-delayed flood barriers were deployed for the first time on Saturday.
Forecasters warned the storm could combine with high tides to inundate the sinking city.
The network of 78 bright yellow barriers that guard the entrance to the Venetian lagoon started to lift from the seabed more than three hours before high tide was scheduled.
Driven by strong winds and heavy rain, the tide was expected to reach 130cm (51ins), well below the 187cm (74ins) tide that plunged much of Venice under water last November, but enough to leave low-lying areas deep under water.
The barrier system, called Mose, was designed in 1984 and was due to come into service in 2011 but the project was plagued by corruption, overrunning costs and prolonged delays.
It successfully protected the city from major flooding, bringing relief after years of inundation
Courtesy of Sky News
Floods wreak havoc in Rupandehi, Nepal #Floods #Rupandehi #Nepal
Floods triggered by heavy rains in the past few days have wreaked havoc in various parts of the country.
At least four people died, 17 houses were swept away and dozens of houses were waterlogged in separate incidents of monsoon-induced disasters in Rupandehi and Makwanpur districts on Friday night and Saturday.
The rain-swollen Rapti river entered Durganagar in Butwal Sub-metropolis Ward No. 12 and swept away 40-year-old Bishnu Rai on Friday night, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Pratit Singh Rathaur.
“Her body was recovered at Chankipur in Butwal-15 on Saturday morning,” he said.
According to the Area Police Office in Butwal, the floods in Tinau, Danab and other rivers in Rupandehi swept away 17 houses and damaged 24 others in the past 24 hours. Six people sustained injuries while around 100 houses were inundated in the disaster.
Police said five persons were injured when the floods in the Danab river destroyed the house of Prabhawati Mallaha in Debandi settlement of Sammarimai Rural Municipality. Khadga Bahadur Khatri, the spokesperson at the District Police Office in Rupandehi, said the injured were receiving treatment at Bhim Hospital in Bhairahawa. Similarly, a woman was injured when her house collapsed in Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality-13. She was taken to a neighbouring Indian town for treatment.
Similarly, the flooded Tinau river entered a settlement in Butwal-17 and swept away six houses. As many as 36 families have been displaced by the inundation.
In Butwal-4, the floodwaters from Chure hill swept away three houses in Gairiguan and displaced 16 households.
Likewise, the flooded Sukhaura stream swept away four houses in Tilottama Municipality of Rupandehi. According to the District Police Office, the floods damaged 15 houses in Marchawari Rural Municipality, five houses each in Omsatiya Rural Municipality and Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality and four houses in Mayadevi Rural Municipality.
The flooded Tinau and Danab rivers have wreaked havoc in several settlements of Sammarimai, Mayadevi, Marchawari, Kotihima and Lumbini Sanskritik and inundated hectares of paddy fields in the area. According to Jitendra Nath Shukla, chairman of Sammarimai Rural Municipality, wards 3, 5 and 7 were hardest hit by the floods.
“Around 40 families have been displaced by the floods. They are now taking shelter in the houses of their relatives and neighbours,” said Shukla, adding that the local body would distribute reliefs to the flood victims on Sunday.
Chief District Officer Pitambar Ghimire, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee, said several settlements were affected, as the floods damaged many houses and paddy fields.
“We will assess the damage soon and provide relief to the victims,” Ghimire said.
In Makwanpur, three persons were swept away in separate incidents of floods on Saturday. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sushil Singh Rathour, Priyanka Soni of Birgunj was swept away by the Trikhandi stream in Bhimphedi. Likewise, the flooded Chaukitar stream in Kailash and Jyamire stream in Hetauda swept away two persons. Police identified the deceased as Dhawa Syangtan of Kailash and Putalimaya Ghalan of Hetauda-19.
Courtesy of kathmandupost.com
**STORM FRANCIS UPDATE** Shimna River Has Burst Its Banks in Co Down, Northern Ireland #StormFrancis #ShimnaRiver #Flooding #CoDown #NorthernIreland

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