Title: Heavy Rainfall Threatens Travel Chaos Across South England
Millions of Brits face travel bedlam on Monday as 18-hours of torrential downpours threaten to cut off major routes. The Met Office fears up to 1.5 inches could fall in some areas, potentially closing roads and leaving communities marooned.
Impending Deluge Triggers Yellow Rain Warnings
South London, Kent, Dover and Hastings are covered by one of the alerts, in place from 3pm on Sunday until 9am on Monday. Exeter, Devon and Plymouth have also had a warning issued from 6am to 6pm on Sunday. The Environment Agency had issued 62 flood warnings and 168 flood alerts in England by Saturday evening.
Unsettled Weather Predictions by the Met Office
The Met Office’s Greg Dewhurst warned of an “unsettled” day as an area of low pressure moves across the south of the UK on Sunday and into Monday. He added: “It will bring some heavy rain and some strong winds as well. This rain is falling on saturated ground and could lead to some localized flooding problems. Take care if you are traveling through the day on Sunday across southern counties.”
Chilly Conditions and Freezing Temperatures
Sunday’s temperatures are set to reach around 7C-9C with generally light winds, but it will feel chillier. Temperatures plunged to minus 6C on Friday night leaving much of the country waking up to freezing conditions with “patchy mist and fog in places”. Chilly conditions settled in from the north leaving frost on the ground – with early risers forced to de-ice their cars due to the cold blast.
Road Safety During Flooding
What to do when the road is flooded:
If the road is flooded, turn around and find another route. The number one cause of death during flooding is driving through flood water, so the safest advice is turn around, don’t drown. Although the water may seem shallow, just 12 inches (30 cm) of moving water can float your car, potentially taking it to deeper water from which you may need rescuing. Flood water also contains hidden hazards which can damage your car, and just an egg-cupful of water sucked into your car’s engine will lead to severe damage.