2007 United Kingdom floods
Encyclopedia
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland
on 12 June; East Yorkshire
and The Midlands
on 15 June; Yorkshire
, The Midlands, Gloucestershire
, Herefordshire
and Worcestershire
on 25 June; and Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire
, Berkshire
and South Wales
on 28 July.
June was one of the wettest months on record in Britain (see List of weather records). Average rainfall across England was 140 millimetres (5.5 in), more than double the June average. Some areas received a month's worth of precipitation
in just 24 hours. It was Britain's wettest May–July since records began (in 1776). July had unusually unsettled weather and above-average rainfall through the month, peaking on 20 July as an active frontal system dumped more than 120 millimetres (4.7 in) of rain in southern England.
Civil and military authorities described the June and July rescue efforts as the biggest in peacetime Britain. The Environment Agency
described the July floods as critical and expected them to exceed the 1947 benchmark
.
to the north of the United Kingdom maintaining a dry, cool easterly flow. From 10 June the high pressure began to break down as an upper trough
moved into the area, triggering thunderstorms that caused flooding in Northern Ireland on 12 June.
Later that week, a slow moving area of low pressure from the west of Biscay
moved east across the British Isles
. At the same time, an associated occluded front
moved into Northern England, becoming very active as it did so with the peak rainfall on 15 June. Rainfall records were broken across the region, leading to localised flooding. As it weakened, the front moved north into Scotland on 16 June and left England and Wales with a very unstable airmass, frequent heavy showers, thunderstorms and cloudy conditions. This led to localised flash flooding and prevented significant drying where earlier rains had fallen.
On 25 June another unseasonably low pressure (993 hPa
/ 29.3 inHg) depression moved across England. The associated front settled over Eastern England and dumped more than 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain in places. The combination of high rainfall and high water levels from the earlier rainfall led to extensive flooding across many parts of England and Wales, with the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, South, West and East Yorkshire the most affected. Gales along the east coast also caused storm damage. RAF Fylingdales
on the North Yorkshire Moors reported rainfall totals of 103 mm (4.1 in) in 24 hours, an estimated 100 mm (3.9 in) in Hull and 77 mm (3 in) on Emley Moor in West Yorkshire. The average monthly total for June for the whole UK is 72.6 mm (2.9 in).
On 27 June, the Met Office
released an early warning of severe weather for the approaching weekend, stating that 20 to 50 mm (–2 in) of rain could fall in some areas, raising the possibility of more flooding within the already saturated flood plains.
On 20 July, another active frontal system moved across Southern England. Many places recorded a month's rainfall or more in one day. The Met Office at RAF Brize Norton
in Oxfordshire reported 126.6 mm (5 in): a sixth of its annual rainfall. The college at Pershore
in Worcestershire reported 142.2 mm (5.6 in), causing the Environment Agency
to issue 16 further severe flood warnings. By 21 July, many towns and villages were flooded, with Gloucestershire
, Worcestershire
, Warwickshire
, Wiltshire
, Oxfordshire
, Berkshire
, London
and South Wales
facing the brunt of the heavy rainfall.
Climate researchers have suggested that the unusual weather leading to the floods may be linked to this year's appearance of La Nina
in the Pacific Ocean
, and the jet stream
being further south than normal.
and administrative counties
affected by the flooding are given below.
and Luton
were flooded and one man drowned attempting to swim across the River Great Ouse in Bedford.
Parts of Felmersham and Turvey were also flooded by water from the river
was closed after a landslide caused by flooding between Junctions 12 and 13 eastbound. Approximately 1100 properties in Thatcham
were affected by flash flooding.
By 21 July, Newbury
and Maidenhead
town centres were flooded, the shopping mall
in Maidenhead was closed and parts of the Glade Festival were flooded. Officials warned that the River Thames
, the River Ock
, and its tributaries from Charney
could burst their banks. Trinity School was badly affected by the flooding as well due to Vodafone's HQ nearby. Vodafone's ornamental lake overflowed due to the sudden downpour and badly damaged Trinity School's astro turf to the front of the school as well as some damage to inside the school.
In Reading
, rail services to the Southwest were affected and Westbound trains from Paddington
could go no further.
The flood waters affected the Atomic Weapons Establishment
at Burghfield
, which handles Britain's nuclear warheads, resulting in a suspension of work for almost a year.
suffered flash flooding affecting 25 homes. Stoke Goldington was affected again on 3 July, with 10 houses being flooded.
By 21 July, 70 homes and businesses were flooded by the River Ouse
in Buckingham
and 30 people spent the night in the town's Radcliffe centre, but 10 miles (16.1 km) away a system of balancing lake
s prevented Milton Keynes
from suffering significantly, apart from a flash flood of Stony Stratford
High Street from the River Ouse
.
, Cambridgeshire
were shut when the river level peaked, and the Environment Agency warned residents in the St Neots, Paxton
and Offords
areas to expect flooding that night. By 25 July, parts of St Ives
were flooded. Later the same day, the Environment Agency advised residents near the River Great Ouse
that the peak had passed and further flooding was unlikely.
at the Riverside Ground
, Chester-le-Street
. On 23 June, flash floods affected parts of Darlington
and Stanhope Road, Northgate, St Cuthbert's Way, Parkgate and Haughton Road were closed after water levels rose by about 2 feet (0.6 m). It has also led to Woodland Road to improve its drainage to prevent such flooding on one of the main roads out the town. On 17 July, flooding affected Peterlee
town centre, closing shops, a McDonald's
and a local school.
.
, Calow
and Chesterfield
town centre, and the A617 was filled with more than 2 foot (0.6096 m) of floodwater causing traffic delays.
was the worst affected county - with both some minor flooding in June, and major flooding in July.
On 19 July, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
attended 1,800 calls in a 48 hour period. Normally they attend 8,000 in a year.
On 22 July, Gloucester City A.F.C.
's Stadium was flooded. Tewkesbury
was completely cut off with no road access, parts of the town were under around 3 foot (0.9144 m) of water and flood waters entered Tewkesbury Abbey
for the first time in 247 years. Tewkesbury's Mythe Water Treatment Works
were flooded, threatening drinking water supplies to 350,000 people, and Severn Trent Water warned that treated water would run out by early Sunday evening in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham
and Gloucester
. Combined military and civil emergency services tried to stop floods reaching the Walham
electricity substation in Gloucester
supplying half a million people.
On 23 July 50,000 Gloucestershire homes were left without electricity after a major electricity substation in Castle Meads, Gloucester was turned off due to the flood.
On 24 July, the battle to save the Walham
substation succeeded, stopping flood waters just short of entry and the Castle Meads substation was repaired, restoring power supplies. Channel 4's information about saving of Walham from floods
New Port Ham substation passes key milestone with energisation of interconnector circuit
By 24 July 420,000 people were without drinking water, including most of the population of Gloucester
, Cheltenham
, and Tewkesbury
. Emergency services continued repair work at the Mythe water-treatment works but Severn Trent Water
estimated that water supplies would not be restored for at least fourteen days. 900 drinking water bowsers
were brought in and the Army was mobilised to distribute three million bottles of water a day and keep the bowsers filled.
On 25 July, Coors
, Carlsberg, Scottish and Newcastle, Inbev
and Greene King brewing companies offered 23 beer tankers to help supply drinking water. On 26 July Severn Trent Water organised a temporary water supply to 10,000 homes in Tewkesbury; the water was suitable for use in toilets and for washing, but not to drink. It was not until 7 August, 16 days after Mythe Treatment Works stopped pumping, that the tap water for the 140,000 homes affected was considered safe as drinking water.
On 27 July, a father and his 24 year old son died from asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning after using a petrol-powered pump to pump water out of the unventilated Tewkesbury Rugby Football Club cellar.
On 28 July, a body was recovered in Tewkesbury. It was that of a 19-year old Mitchell Taylor who had gone missing on 21 July.
was affected by flooding. The M50 motorway
near Ledbury
was closed on 22 July due to flooding. More than 5,200 people in and around Bromyard
, Herefordshire
were without clean water on 22 and 23 July after the pumps at the Whitbourne works in Herefordshire
failed. Once supply was restored residents were urged by Welsh Water
to boil their tap-water until further notice. The village of Hampton Bishop
, 3 miles (5 km) from the city of Hereford
remains surrounded and flooded by water after the River Lugg
burst its banks. On the afternoon of 24 July the Fire Service
began pumping flood water out of the village, but not before 130 residents were evacuated. Houses, including the Herefordshire home of Daily Mail
writer Quentin Letts
, were flooded by a torrent of water gushing from what had previously been only a small, unnamed brook
north of Ross-on-Wye
.
and Penwortham
near Preston were hit by flash floods.
On 3 July, heavy rain caused flooding in Earby
and Ribchester
, affecting homes and causing the Royal Lancashire Show to be cancelled on 9 July. On 4 July, the Blackburn Mela
was cancelled due to ground conditions. On 18 July, Walton-le-Dale
near Preston was hit by flash floods.
, Lincoln
, Louth
and Horncastle, homes in Louth and Langworth
were flooded, the River Witham
and Brayford Pool
overtopped, people left their homes in Wainfleet
, people were evacuated by boat from about 120 flats in Lincoln
, and homes near Market Rasen
and Scunthorpe
, North Lincolnshire
were left without power. About 400 homes were evacuated in total.
On 26 June, North East Lincolnshire
was affected by flooding as about 50 Grimsby
homes were evacuated by boat and the Army used to sandbag areas in Grimsby and Cleethorpes
.
Fields across the county were waterlogged, damaging crops and up to 40% of the pea harvest. Food prices were predicted to rise.
Although it did not formally flood, the Witham river came within inches of doing so. If it had, it would have created a 20 miles (32.2 km) wide lake, paralysing the county's transport.
On 20 July, parts of Louth
and Horncastle were hit by flooding again, and the main road in Covenham St Marys
was under several feet of water.
. Water and power supplies were not disrupted but parts of South West London were under 2 feet (61 cm) of water. Heathrow Airport cancelled 141 flights. Two of four rail lines in South Croydon were closed by landslips. The London Underground
was severely disrupted and 25 stations were closed.
On 27 June 2007, flash flooding caused extensive damage to the villages of Lambley, Woodborough and Burton Joyce
. Major towns were hit including Mansfield
and Hucknall
but not as severely as Lambley. The same day, flooding occurred at Retford
and Worksop
after the River Idle
and River Ryton
respectively overtopped their banks.
and the Cherwell
in Oxford
and the Ock
in Abingdon
and the Windrush
and Evenlode
in Witney
.
By 21 July, Banbury
and Witney
were flooded. Oxford
, particularly Botley
, was flooded and some 300 people were evacuated.
On 22 July, the Environment Agency warned of further flooding and 1,500 people in Abingdon
were evacuated. Forty thousand sandbags were transported from Grantham
in Lincolnshire
to Abingdon and Oxford
.
By 23 July, Oxford
, Abingdon
, Kidlington
and Bladon
were affected; some 3,000 homes including the home of William Morris
at Kelmscott
were flooded and 600 residents were evacuated, with many taking refuge in Oxford United Football Club's Kassam Stadium
.
On 24 July the Thames in Abingdon rose 3 feet (0.9 m) in less than 12 hours to a "perilously high" level and the Thames and the Severn were expected to rise to 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than normal.
On 25 July residents of Osney
in west Oxford were advised to leave their homes. About 30 people went to the Kassam stadium
shelter while another 250 decided to stay with family and friends. Osney Mead substation, which supplies power to Oxford city centre, was threatened but did not flood. Later that evening, the Thames breached its banks at Henley
.
and the Severn Valley Railway
line from Bridgnorth
was closed after numerous landslips on the line. Also, on 19 June/20 June, the town of Shifnal
near Telford, parts of the town were flooded when the stream by some of the residential areas burst its banks and some of the residents blame Severn Trent
Water for opening floodgates at a local reservoir which caused the Flash Floods. Repair costs to the railway were estimated at £2 million.
On 26 June, a bridge collapsed on the main road into Ludlow
, severing a gas main and causing the surrounding area to be evacuated.
On 1 July, a woman was pulled out of the River Severn at Jackfield
on the Telford and Wrekin
border near Ironbridge
. By 24 July, the UK National Ballooning Championships in Ludlow
had been cancelled for the first time in their 32-year history.
included Alcester
, Stratford-upon-Avon
, Shipston on Stour and Water Orton
. To a lesser extent, areas of Leamington Spa and Warwick also experienced flooding.
Several nature reserves in the Tame Valley, including Ladywalk and Kingsbury Water Park
were badly affected, just as ground- and reedbed- nesting birds were hatching young.
, Birmingham
when the River Tame
flooded. Water entered the streets of Shirley
, Solihull
. As in Warwickshire, the Tame caused losses at a nature reserve; this time RSPB Sandwell Valley
.
was affected by flooding. A 68-year-old motorist died after he was trapped in his vehicle in flood water near Pershore
whilst attempting to cross an old ford in Bow Brook which was by then 2 m deep. The waters were still rising, endangering the confluence
of the River Teme
and the River Severn
. On 26 June 2007 the New Road Ground
, home to Worcestershire County Cricket Club
, was flooded after the River Severn
overtopped its banks, causing the next day's Twenty20
match against Warwickshire
to be cancelled. On 17 July, Tenbury Wells
in Worcestershire
was flooded for the second time in three weeks after a thunderstorm
caused flash flooding. By 21 July the M5
was affected, compounded by the closure of the Strensham services
, and the motorway was closed, stranding hundreds in their vehicles overnight.
By 23 July, parts of Worcestershire were under 6 feet (2 m) of water and the Army was brought in to help emergency services supply the inhabitants of Upton-upon-Severn
which was cut-off by floodwater.
On 1 June, the first day of the floods. A road in Cropthorne
near Worcester
was brutally forced down by a high impact of water flowing underneath the road in a pipe. The hole it made was 13 feet (4 m) deep and 33 feet (10.1 m) wide, traffic throughout the county was held up due to the collapsed main road. The site was named Cropthorne Canyon.
and A1105 in Hull
and schools in the region were closed, the Hull Lord Mayor's Parade was cancelled, the Festival of Football was postponed, police declared a major incident and Hessle
in Hull, on the border between one council
and the other
, suffered two square miles of severe sewage-contaminated flooding.
On 25 June, the region was hit by flooding again. Fire crews received over 1500 calls in a 12 hour period, dozens of homes in Beverley
and about 50 people at a Hull nursing home were evacuated, boats were used to evacuate about 90 people from 4 feet (1 m) of floodwater in Hull's County Road North, and in Hessle a 28 year old man died after becoming trapped in a drain. The new Hull police station
had to be vacated because of flooding. The next day, only 12 of Hull's 88 schools were still open, affecting 30,000 out of 38,000 Hull schoolchildren.
By 4 July in Hull, six schools were still closed and 120 residents in residential or nursing care had been relocated.
By 5 July, an estimated 35,000 people in streets containing 17,000 homes had been affected by flooding in Hull and by the next day more than 10,000 homes had been evacuated. Hull City Council
estimated repair costs at £200 million.
By 24 July, Hull City Council had checked each house in the flooded streets and stated that 6,500 homes had been flooded.
By 27 July, £2.1 million had been allocated to Hull and £600,000 to the East Riding for clean-up and immediate repairs, and £3.2 million to Hull and £1.5 million to the East Riding for further repairs to the region's estimated 101 schools suffering significant flood damage.
By 3 September, figures released by Hull City Council had been revised upwards to 7,800 houses that had been flooded plus 1,300 businesses that were affected.
were flooded, with Knaresborough
, Harrogate
and York
being particularly affected. In Scarborough, the main A171
Scalby Road flooded outside Scarborough Hospital
, and the ornamental lake at Peasholm Park overtopped its banks and poured down Peasholm Gap into North Bay. Near Catterick, North Yorkshire
, a 17 year old soldier on a training exercise from Catterick Garrison
died after being swept away whilst crossing Risedale Beck, Hipswell Moor. On 23 June, flooding affected Middlesbrough
.
Pickering
was flooded after Pickering Beck
overflowed its banks. On 18 July, streams overflowed and roads were blocked in Barton
, Gilling West
, Melsonby
, Hartforth
, Scotch Corner
, Middleton Tyas
and Kirby Hill
after a freak rainstorm, and on 18 July 2007 a cloud burst left parts of Filey
under 3 feet (1 m) of water, just caused by the rain, rather than by a river bursting its banks. Pensioners were stranded in the town's swimming pool and rescued by lifeboat.
suffered extensive damage as the River Don over topped its banks causing widespread flooding in the Don Valley area of the city. A 14-year-old boy was swept away by the swollen River Sheaf
and a 68 year old man died after attempting to cross a flooded road in Sheffield city centre, and lots of cattle were washed away, and found up to three and a half miles across fields in some areas of cultivated land. The Meadowhall
shopping centre was closed due to flooding with some shops remaining closed downstairs until late September and Sheffield Wednesday's
ground Hillsborough
was under 6 feet (1.83 m) of water. A number of people had to be rescued by RAF
helicopters
from buildings in the Brightside
area, whilst in the Millhouses Park area to the southwest of the city the River Sheaf overtopped its banks causing widespread damage. There was also widespread flooding in Barnsley
, Doncaster
and Rotherham
with much of these towns cut off.
By 26 June, the waters in some parts of Sheffield and the surrounding area had receded, but over 700 villagers from Catcliffe
, near Rotherham
's Ulley reservoir
were evacuated after cracks appeared in the dam. Emergency services from across England pumped millions of gallons of water from the reservoir to ease the pressure on the damaged dam, and the nearby M1 Motorway
was closed between junctions 32 and 36 as a precaution.
On 27 June, the Army moved into the Doncaster
area after the River Don overtopped its banks and threatened the area around what was Thorpe Marsh Power Station
. A man was incorrectly reported missing near the village of Adwick le Street
near Doncaster.
and Clayton West
and other parts of Kirklees
were flooded by the River Dearne
, the second time worse than the first.
On 29 June, Wakefield
was flooded. Six elderly women, including a 91-year-old, were stranded in their homes.
During the Wakefield flood, hundreds of homes were evacuated in the Agbrigg area of Wakefield and looting was feared, but by 1 July only four looters had been arrested in the city and were later released on bail.
The Leeds village of Collingham
(near Wetherby
) was particularly effected by the flooding and one house was looted.
and districts
affected are given below.
campus of the Lisburn Institute
in Lisburn
was affected by flooding. The same day, parts of East Belfast
near the Antrim-Down border that were affected included the Kings Road, Ladas Drive, Strandtown Primary School and the Parliament Buildings
in Stormont, with 80 residents evacuated from their old people's home on the Kings Road and Avoniel Leisure Centre opened to assist flood victims. On 2 July, houses were flooded and two people evacuated from their home in Cushendall
in Antrim after the River Dall burst its banks following heavy rain. On 16 July, parts of Belfast International Airport
near Aldergrove in Antrim were flooded by a freak thunderstorm leaving 10 planes unable to land, landslides closed the Antrim Coast Road near Ballygally
, Larne
, and people were trapped in their cars in Portrush
, Coleraine
.
in North Down
, Saintfield
, Crossgar
and Ballynahinch in Down
and Newtownards
and Comber
in Ards, with shops in Crossgar
centre flooded.
was affected by flooding. On 16 July, roads in Aghadowey
, Coleraine
and Portstewart
, Coleraine
were rendered impassable by floodwater.
and Dungannon
were affected by flooding, with a Dunnes
supermarket evacuated in Omagh
.
most badly affected. On 12 June, the Met Office issued torrential rain warnings for Scotland and it was Scotland's wettest June since 1938. The non-administrative counties
and council areas
affected are given below.
. On 18 July, flooding affected Kilmarnock again, the River Irvine
burst its banks in Newmilns
, and flash floods affected roads including the M77
.
, power was cut off at Eaglesfield, and roads were closed at Moffat
and Lochmaben
.
in Edinburgh
and by 3 July parts of Midlothian
were flooded, with worst hit areas including residential areas in Dalkeith
and Mayfield
.
. The same day, torrential rain caused a landslide just south of Lesmahagow
, closing the M74.
to Aberlour
road in Moray
.
and Achnasheen
for a predicted 10 days,
Festival in Peebles
to be held indoors for the first time.
and principal areas affected are given below.
in Denbighshire
, a river overflowed at Worthenbury in Flintshire
, and properties were affected in Wrexham
. In North Wales, a man was rescued by fire services after he was stranded on a small island in the River Dee
in Llangollen
, Denbighshire
. On 17 July, flash floods after torrential rain forced the closure of a secondary school in Prestatyn
in Denbighshire
.
in Ceredigion
was affected by flooding on 11 June and then again on 15 June.
on the River Wye
in Monmouthshire
. On 20 July, flash floods affected parts of Newport
, Monmouthshire
and Torfaen
.
, ten people were taken to safety at Tregynon
and a dozen homes were flooded at Bettws Cedewain
on 22 July, firefighters used a boat to evacuate five people from a house near Welshpool
after they were cut off by floods on 23 July, and the same boat was later used to rescue three people stranded in a car on the A483. In Radnorshire
, 30 tonnes of debris and earth blocked the only road out of Barland near Presteigne
on 23 July. In Brecknockshire
, the River Wye burst its banks in Builth Wells
on 1 July,
the saturated ground later causing chaos at the Royal Welsh Show
in Llanelwedd
on 24 July.
, causing schools to be evacuated, roads to be closed, and boats used to rescue people from their homes in Barry.
as the "biggest in peacetime Britain". Following the flooding in July, the RAF
said it is carrying out its biggest ever peacetime rescue operation, with six Sea King
helicopters from as far afield as RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall
, RAF Valley
in Anglesey
and RAF Leconfield
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
rescuing up to 120 people. An RAF heavy lift Chinook
helicopter was also employed to move aggregate to reinforce the banks of the River Don. The Environment Agency described the situation as "critical".
4x4 Response
groups from throughout the UK assisted councils and blue light services during and in the immediate aftermath of the flooding. During the recovery phase a number of responders from around the UK 4x4 Response
assisted the Red Cross in the distribution of fresh drinking water in the Gloucestershire area after mains drinking water was contaminated.
advised people that the risk of contracting any illness was low but that it was best to avoid coming into direct contact with floodwater. There were no reported cases of any outbreaks.
, carrot
s, peas
and potato
es. In parts of Lincolnshire it was estimated that 40% of the pea crop may have been damaged, with other crops also suffering major losses. Prices of vegetables were expected to rise in the following months.
chief executive Baroness Young
said that about £1 billion a year was needed to improve flood defences. The Association of British Insurers has estimated the total bill for the June and July floods as £3 billion.
Hilary Benn
announced that the Government would increase the spending on risk management and flood defences by £200 million to £800 million by 2010-11.
During Prime Minister's Questions
in the House of Commons
later that month, Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
promised £46 million in aid to flood-hit councils and £800 million rise in annual spending on flood protection by 2010-11, confirming Hilary Benn's announcement. Brown also pledged to push insurance firms to make payouts.
On 22 July, the Government convened COBRA
to co-ordinate the response to the crisis.
Visiting Gloucestershire on 25 July, Mr. Brown praised emergency services for their efforts, but added: "We've got to get the supplies stepped up. We will get more tankers in, we will get more bowsers in, we will get more regular filling of them, and at the same time, more bottled water
will be provided."
On 8 August 2007 Defra announced that Sir Michael Pitt
would chair an independent review of the response to the flooding. On 4 September of that year the Cabinet Office website launched a comments page to let people affected by the flooding contribute their experiences to the review.
Sir Michael published his interim report on 17 December 2007.
In April 2010 the government passed the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which implemented many of Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations.
, help would have arrived much more quickly. One in five homes in Hull was damaged and 90 out of the city's 105 schools suffered some damage. Damage to the schools alone was estimated to cost £100 million. The Bellwin Scheme for providing aid after natural disasters was criticised as inadequate by Hull MP Diana Johnson
. The lack of media coverage of flooding in Kingston upon Hull led the city council leader Carl Minns to dub Hull "the forgotten city".
In July, the Government came under mounting criticism of its handling of the crisis, the fact that responsibilities were spread across four departments and no single minister could be held responsible, and the fact that the Army had not been called in to assist.
The Observer
newspaper stated on 22 July 2007 that the Government had been warned in the spring by the Met Office that summer flooding would be likely because the El Niño phenomenon had weakened, but no action was taken.
In response to the criticism, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said on the BBC
's Sunday AM
programme that "This was very, very intense rainfall, with five inches in 24 hours in some areas; even some of the best defences are going to be overwhelmed". He praised the way the emergency services had dealt with "unprecedented" levels of rainfall and said he had "total confidence" in the response of the Environment Agency.
Conservative
leader David Cameron
called for a public inquiry into the flooding after visiting Witney
, the main town in his Oxfordshire constituency.
Then Liberal Democrat
leader Sir Menzies Campbell accused the government of lack of preparation leading to a "summer of suffering", and said, "With sophisticated weather forecasting as we now have, particularly in relation to what's happened over the weekend, there are quite a few questions as to how it was that flood-prevention measures were not in place or were not more effective."
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
on 12 June; East Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
and The Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
on 15 June; Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, The Midlands, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
and Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
on 25 June; and Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
on 28 July.
June was one of the wettest months on record in Britain (see List of weather records). Average rainfall across England was 140 millimetres (5.5 in), more than double the June average. Some areas received a month's worth of precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
in just 24 hours. It was Britain's wettest May–July since records began (in 1776). July had unusually unsettled weather and above-average rainfall through the month, peaking on 20 July as an active frontal system dumped more than 120 millimetres (4.7 in) of rain in southern England.
Civil and military authorities described the June and July rescue efforts as the biggest in peacetime Britain. The Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
described the July floods as critical and expected them to exceed the 1947 benchmark
Winter of 1946-1947
The winter of 1946–1947 was a harsh European winter noted for its effects in the United Kingdom. The UK experienced several cold spells, beginning on 21 January 1947, bringing large drifts of snow to the country, which caused roads and railways to be blocked...
.
Meteorological background
June 2007 started quietly with an anticycloneAnticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
to the north of the United Kingdom maintaining a dry, cool easterly flow. From 10 June the high pressure began to break down as an upper trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
moved into the area, triggering thunderstorms that caused flooding in Northern Ireland on 12 June.
Later that week, a slow moving area of low pressure from the west of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
moved east across the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. At the same time, an associated occluded front
Occluded front
An occluded front is formed during the process of cyclogenesis when a cold front overtakes a warm front. When this occurs, the warm air is separated from the cyclone center at the Earth's surface...
moved into Northern England, becoming very active as it did so with the peak rainfall on 15 June. Rainfall records were broken across the region, leading to localised flooding. As it weakened, the front moved north into Scotland on 16 June and left England and Wales with a very unstable airmass, frequent heavy showers, thunderstorms and cloudy conditions. This led to localised flash flooding and prevented significant drying where earlier rains had fallen.
On 25 June another unseasonably low pressure (993 hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
/ 29.3 inHg) depression moved across England. The associated front settled over Eastern England and dumped more than 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain in places. The combination of high rainfall and high water levels from the earlier rainfall led to extensive flooding across many parts of England and Wales, with the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, South, West and East Yorkshire the most affected. Gales along the east coast also caused storm damage. RAF Fylingdales
RAF Fylingdales
RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is "Vigilamus" . It is a radar base and part of the United States-controlled Ballistic Missile Early Warning System...
on the North Yorkshire Moors reported rainfall totals of 103 mm (4.1 in) in 24 hours, an estimated 100 mm (3.9 in) in Hull and 77 mm (3 in) on Emley Moor in West Yorkshire. The average monthly total for June for the whole UK is 72.6 mm (2.9 in).
On 27 June, the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
released an early warning of severe weather for the approaching weekend, stating that 20 to 50 mm (–2 in) of rain could fall in some areas, raising the possibility of more flooding within the already saturated flood plains.
On 20 July, another active frontal system moved across Southern England. Many places recorded a month's rainfall or more in one day. The Met Office at RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the settlements of Brize Norton, Carterton and Witney....
in Oxfordshire reported 126.6 mm (5 in): a sixth of its annual rainfall. The college at Pershore
Pershore
Pershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304...
in Worcestershire reported 142.2 mm (5.6 in), causing the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
to issue 16 further severe flood warnings. By 21 July, many towns and villages were flooded, with Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
facing the brunt of the heavy rainfall.
Climate researchers have suggested that the unusual weather leading to the floods may be linked to this year's appearance of La Nina
La Niña
La Niña is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon that is the counterpart of El Niño as part of the broader El Niño-Southern Oscillation climate pattern. During a period of La Niña, the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean will be lower than normal by 3–5 °C...
in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, and the jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
being further south than normal.
Affected areas in England
England was affected by the June and July floods, with the North badly hit in June, the West badly hit in July, and many areas hit in both. It was England's wettest July on record. Non-administrative countiesCeremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
and administrative counties
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of subdivisions of England used for the purposes of local government outside Greater London. As originally constituted, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties each consisted of multiple districts, had a county council and...
affected by the flooding are given below.
Bedfordshire
By 24 July, parts of BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
and Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
were flooded and one man drowned attempting to swim across the River Great Ouse in Bedford.
Parts of Felmersham and Turvey were also flooded by water from the river
Berkshire
On 20 July, the M4M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
was closed after a landslide caused by flooding between Junctions 12 and 13 eastbound. Approximately 1100 properties in Thatcham
Thatcham
Thatcham is a town in Berkshire, England 3 miles east of Newbury and 15 miles west of Reading. It covers about and has a population of 23,000 people . This number has grown rapidly over the last few decades from 5,000 in 1951 and 7,500 in 1961.It lies on the River Kennet, the Kennet and Avon...
were affected by flash flooding.
By 21 July, Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
and Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
town centres were flooded, the shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Maidenhead was closed and parts of the Glade Festival were flooded. Officials warned that the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, the River Ock
River Ock
The River Ock is a small English river which is a tributary of the River Thames. It has as its catchment area the Vale of White Horse, a low-lying and wide valley in South Oxfordshire and flows into the River Thames, at Abingdon on the reach above Culham Lock.-Course:The River Ock rises near the...
, and its tributaries from Charney
Charney Bassett
Charney Bassett is a village and civil parish about north of Wantage and east of Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Archaeology:...
could burst their banks. Trinity School was badly affected by the flooding as well due to Vodafone's HQ nearby. Vodafone's ornamental lake overflowed due to the sudden downpour and badly damaged Trinity School's astro turf to the front of the school as well as some damage to inside the school.
In Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, rail services to the Southwest were affected and Westbound trains from Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
could go no further.
The flood waters affected the Atomic Weapons Establishment
Atomic Weapons Establishment
The Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
at Burghfield
Burghfield
Burghfield is a village and civil parish in West Berkshire, England, close to the boundary with Reading.-Location:Burghfield is about southwest of Reading...
, which handles Britain's nuclear warheads, resulting in a suspension of work for almost a year.
Buckinghamshire
On 3 June, Stoke GoldingtonStoke Goldington
Stoke Goldington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Milton Keynes and ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located about four miles NNW of Newport Pagnell, on the B526, the old road to Northampton....
suffered flash flooding affecting 25 homes. Stoke Goldington was affected again on 3 July, with 10 houses being flooded.
By 21 July, 70 homes and businesses were flooded by the River Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
in Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
and 30 people spent the night in the town's Radcliffe centre, but 10 miles (16.1 km) away a system of balancing lake
Balancing lake
A balancing lake is a term used in the U.K. describing an element of an urban drainage system used to control flooding by temporarily storing flood waters...
s prevented Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
from suffering significantly, apart from a flash flood of Stony Stratford
Stony Stratford
Stony Stratford is a constituent town of Milton Keynes and is a civil parish with a town council within the Borough of Milton Keynes. It is in the north west corner of Milton Keynes, bordering Northamptonshire and separated from it by the River Great Ouse...
High Street from the River Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
.
Cambridgeshire
On 24 July, four bridges in St NeotsSt Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
were shut when the river level peaked, and the Environment Agency warned residents in the St Neots, Paxton
Little Paxton
Shittle Paxton in Cambridgeshire, England is a village near Great Paxton north of St Neots. It is in the district and historic county of Huntingdonshire. Until the 1970s it was a minor village and the church was under threat of closure...
and Offords
The Offords
The Offords is the name given to the two villages of Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy, situated on the east bank of the River Great Ouse between Saint Neots and Huntingdon in west Cambridgeshire. The Offords were both recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Upeforde' under two different landowners, which...
areas to expect flooding that night. By 25 July, parts of St Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
were flooded. Later the same day, the Environment Agency advised residents near the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
that the peak had passed and further flooding was unlikely.
County Durham
On 15 June, heavy rainfall caused the postponement of the fourth test match between England and the West IndiesWest Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
at the Riverside Ground
Riverside Ground
The Riverside Ground, officially called the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground, is a cricket venue in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England. It is home to Durham County Cricket Club....
, Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
. On 23 June, flash floods affected parts of Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
and Stanhope Road, Northgate, St Cuthbert's Way, Parkgate and Haughton Road were closed after water levels rose by about 2 feet (0.6 m). It has also led to Woodland Road to improve its drainage to prevent such flooding on one of the main roads out the town. On 17 July, flooding affected Peterlee
Peterlee
Peterlee is a new town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1948, Peterlee town originally mostly housed coal miners and their families.Peterlee has strong economic and community ties with Sunderland and Hartlepool.-Peterlee:...
town centre, closing shops, a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
and a local school.
Cumbria
A 64-year-old man injured his head and died after trying to bail out his flooded home in Alston, CumbriaAlston, Cumbria
Alston is a small town in Cumbria, England on the River South Tyne. It is one of the highest elevation towns in the country, at about 1,000 feet above sea level.-Geography:...
.
Derbyshire
On 15 June, flooding affected properties in Coal AstonCoal Aston
- Geography :Coal Aston sits on a ridge overlooking Sheffield and Dronfield. To the south there is Frith Wood, which is made up of mixed woodland rich in many species of fauna and flora and is thought to be an ancient wood...
, Calow
Calow
Calow is a village in Derbyshire, England. It is in the North East Derbyshire district of the county. It is close to the town of Chesterfield....
and Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
town centre, and the A617 was filled with more than 2 foot (0.6096 m) of floodwater causing traffic delays.
Gloucestershire
GloucestershireGloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
was the worst affected county - with both some minor flooding in June, and major flooding in July.
On 19 July, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
The Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the county of Gloucestershire, England. The service is run by Gloucestershire County Council....
attended 1,800 calls in a 48 hour period. Normally they attend 8,000 in a year.
On 22 July, Gloucester City A.F.C.
Gloucester City A.F.C.
Gloucester City Association Football Club is an English semi-professional association football club currently based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in South West England, via groundshare agreement....
's Stadium was flooded. Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
was completely cut off with no road access, parts of the town were under around 3 foot (0.9144 m) of water and flood waters entered Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
for the first time in 247 years. Tewkesbury's Mythe Water Treatment Works
Mythe Water Treatment Works
The Mythe Water Treatment Works in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England is a facility which treats water drawn from the river SevernOn the 1 March 2002 Severn Trent water worked with local councilors to create an emergency plan, which was supposed to ensure that in the state of emergency their...
were flooded, threatening drinking water supplies to 350,000 people, and Severn Trent Water warned that treated water would run out by early Sunday evening in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
and Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
. Combined military and civil emergency services tried to stop floods reaching the Walham
Walham
Walham is an English village, situated north of Gloucester, on the banks of the River Severn, just off the A40 road, 153 km west of london....
electricity substation in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
supplying half a million people.
On 23 July 50,000 Gloucestershire homes were left without electricity after a major electricity substation in Castle Meads, Gloucester was turned off due to the flood.
On 24 July, the battle to save the Walham
Walham
Walham is an English village, situated north of Gloucester, on the banks of the River Severn, just off the A40 road, 153 km west of london....
substation succeeded, stopping flood waters just short of entry and the Castle Meads substation was repaired, restoring power supplies. Channel 4's information about saving of Walham from floods
New Port Ham substation passes key milestone with energisation of interconnector circuit
By 24 July 420,000 people were without drinking water, including most of the population of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, and Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
. Emergency services continued repair work at the Mythe water-treatment works but Severn Trent Water
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...
estimated that water supplies would not be restored for at least fourteen days. 900 drinking water bowsers
Bowser (tanker)
A bowser is a generic name for a tanker of various kinds.- Water :The term bowser is used by water companies in the United Kingdom to refer to mobile water tanks deployed to distribute fresh water in emergency situations where the normal system of piped distribution has broken down or is insufficient...
were brought in and the Army was mobilised to distribute three million bottles of water a day and keep the bowsers filled.
On 25 July, Coors
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
, Carlsberg, Scottish and Newcastle, Inbev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
and Greene King brewing companies offered 23 beer tankers to help supply drinking water. On 26 July Severn Trent Water organised a temporary water supply to 10,000 homes in Tewkesbury; the water was suitable for use in toilets and for washing, but not to drink. It was not until 7 August, 16 days after Mythe Treatment Works stopped pumping, that the tap water for the 140,000 homes affected was considered safe as drinking water.
On 27 July, a father and his 24 year old son died from asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning after using a petrol-powered pump to pump water out of the unventilated Tewkesbury Rugby Football Club cellar.
On 28 July, a body was recovered in Tewkesbury. It was that of a 19-year old Mitchell Taylor who had gone missing on 21 July.
Herefordshire
By 19 June, HerefordshireHerefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
was affected by flooding. The M50 motorway
M50 motorway (Great Britain)
The M50 is a motorway in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, England. It is long and is sometimes referred to as the Ross Spur. It is the only motorway-class road in Herefordshire.-Route:...
near Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
was closed on 22 July due to flooding. More than 5,200 people in and around Bromyard
Bromyard
Bromyard is a town in northeast Herefordshire, England with a population of approximately 4,000. It lies near to the county border with Worcestershire on the A44 between Leominster and Worcester. Bromyard has a number of traditional half-timbered pubs and some buildings dating back to Norman times...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
were without clean water on 22 and 23 July after the pumps at the Whitbourne works in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
failed. Once supply was restored residents were urged by Welsh Water
Welsh Water
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is a company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England.It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.-History:...
to boil their tap-water until further notice. The village of Hampton Bishop
Hampton Bishop
Hampton Bishop is a village and civil parish south-east of Hereford, in Herefordshire, England. The village itself is on a wedge between the River Wye and the River Lugg, and is also not far from where the River Frome meets the Lugg....
, 3 miles (5 km) from the city of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
remains surrounded and flooded by water after the River Lugg
River Lugg
The River Lugg , rises near Llangynllo, Powys. It flows through the border town of Presteigne, Wales then through Herefordshire, England, including the town of Leominster, south of which it is met by a tributary, the River Arrow, then to a confluence with the River Wye, which it joins at Mordiford,...
burst its banks. On the afternoon of 24 July the Fire Service
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
The Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England....
began pumping flood water out of the village, but not before 130 residents were evacuated. Houses, including the Herefordshire home of Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
writer Quentin Letts
Quentin Letts
Quentin Richard Stephen Letts is a British journalist and theatre critic, writing for The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, The Oldie and New Statesman, and previously for The Times.- Early life :...
, were flooded by a torrent of water gushing from what had previously been only a small, unnamed brook
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
north of Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
.
Lancashire
On 12 June, Lostock HallLostock Hall
Lostock Hall is a small suburban village within the South Ribble borough of Lancashire, England. It is located on the south side of the River Ribble, some south of Preston and north of Leyland. It is bordered on its southeastern side by the interchange for the M6, M61 and M65 motorways...
and Penwortham
Penwortham
-Landmarks:Penwortham Priory was built for the Rawsthorne family and redesigned by the Cumbrian architect George Webster. The priory was demolished due to the rapid expansion of the area and the need for new housing...
near Preston were hit by flash floods.
On 3 July, heavy rain caused flooding in Earby
Earby
Earby is a small town and civil parish within the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. It is north of Colne, from Skipton, and from Burnley. The parish had a population of 4,348 recorded in the 2001 census,...
and Ribchester
Ribchester
Ribchester is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, northwest of Blackburn and east of Preston.The village has a long history with evidence of Bronze Age beginnings...
, affecting homes and causing the Royal Lancashire Show to be cancelled on 9 July. On 4 July, the Blackburn Mela
Mela
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were of great importance...
was cancelled due to ground conditions. On 18 July, Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale
Walton-le-Dale is a village in the Borough of South Ribble, in Lancashire, England. It lies on south bank of the River Ribble, and the south-side of the city of Preston, adjacent to Bamber Bridge.-Toponymy:...
near Preston was hit by flash floods.
Lincolnshire
On 25 June, the region was hit by flooding. Emergency services received more than 600 flood-related calls, roads were flooded in GranthamGrantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
, Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
and Horncastle, homes in Louth and Langworth
Langworth
Langworth is a small village in Lincolnshire about 7 miles north-east of Lincoln in the United Kingdom.The central spine of the village is the A158 Lincoln - Skegness road, on which are two public houses, a village store/post office and two garages. Langworth railway station, on the Grimsby–Lincoln...
were flooded, the River Witham
River Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
and Brayford Pool
Brayford Pool
The Brayford Pool is a natural lake formed from a widening of the River Witham in the centre of the city of Lincoln in England. It was used as a port by the Romans - who connected it to the River Trent by constructing the Foss Dyke - and has a long industrial heritage.-History:The Pool has been the...
overtopped, people left their homes in Wainfleet
Wainfleet, Lincolnshire
Wainfleet All Saints is an ancient port and market town on the east coast of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the B1195 between Spilsby and Boston. The town stands on the small rivers Steeping and Limb that form Wainfleet Haven. The town is close to Skegness, Boston, Spilsby, the Lincolnshire...
, people were evacuated by boat from about 120 flats in Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, and homes near Market Rasen
Market Rasen
Market Rasen is a town and civil parish within the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the River Rase northeast of Lincoln, east of Gainsborough and southwest of Grimsby. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 3,200....
and Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
, North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
were left without power. About 400 homes were evacuated in total.
On 26 June, North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, bordering the unitary authority of North Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire...
was affected by flooding as about 50 Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
homes were evacuated by boat and the Army used to sandbag areas in Grimsby and Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
.
Fields across the county were waterlogged, damaging crops and up to 40% of the pea harvest. Food prices were predicted to rise.
Although it did not formally flood, the Witham river came within inches of doing so. If it had, it would have created a 20 miles (32.2 km) wide lake, paralysing the county's transport.
On 20 July, parts of Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
and Horncastle were hit by flooding again, and the main road in Covenham St Marys
Covenham St Bartholomew
Covenham St Bartholomew is a village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies about north of Louth. The southern part of the village adjoins Covenham St Mary; both villages are ecclesiastical parishes and part of the civil parish of Covenham.The Prime Meridian passes to the...
was under several feet of water.
London
On 20 July flooding occurred in many parts of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Water and power supplies were not disrupted but parts of South West London were under 2 feet (61 cm) of water. Heathrow Airport cancelled 141 flights. Two of four rail lines in South Croydon were closed by landslips. The London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
was severely disrupted and 25 stations were closed.
Nottinghamshire
Burton Joyce
Burton Joyce is a large village and civil parish in the Gedling district of Nottinghamshire, England. It has a population of 4,000 and acts mainly as a commuter village for Nottingham....
. Major towns were hit including Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
and Hucknall
Hucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
but not as severely as Lambley. The same day, flooding occurred at Retford
Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...
and Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
after the River Idle
River Idle
The River Idle is a river in Nottinghamshire, England. Its source is the confluence of the River Maun and River Meden, near Markham Moor. From there, it flows north through Retford and Bawtry before entering the River Trent at Stockwith near Misterton...
and River Ryton
River Ryton
The River Ryton is a tributary of the River Idle. It is formed from a series of tributaries but begins at Lindrick Common in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Most of its course is in Nottinghamshire, flowing through the town of Worksop...
respectively overtopped their banks.
Oxfordshire
Many rivers burst their banks, including both the ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and the Cherwell
River Cherwell
The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and the Ock
River Ock
The River Ock is a small English river which is a tributary of the River Thames. It has as its catchment area the Vale of White Horse, a low-lying and wide valley in South Oxfordshire and flows into the River Thames, at Abingdon on the reach above Culham Lock.-Course:The River Ock rises near the...
in Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
and the Windrush
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
and Evenlode
River Evenlode
The River Evenlode is a river in England which is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east passing near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury, Bladon, and Cassington, and its valley provides the route of the southern...
in Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
.
By 21 July, Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
and Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
were flooded. Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, particularly Botley
Botley, Oxfordshire
Botley is a village in the civil parish of North Hinksey, just west of the Oxford city boundary in the English county of Oxfordshire. It was in Berkshire until 1974, when it was transferred to Oxfordshire...
, was flooded and some 300 people were evacuated.
On 22 July, the Environment Agency warned of further flooding and 1,500 people in Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
were evacuated. Forty thousand sandbags were transported from Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
to Abingdon and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
By 23 July, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
, Kidlington
Kidlington
Kidlington is a large village and civil parish between the River Cherwell and the Oxford Canal, north of Oxford and southwest of Bicester.-History:...
and Bladon
Bladon
Bladon is a village and civil parish on the River Glyme about northwest of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.-Churches:The Parish Church of Saint Martin was originally 11th or 12th century, but was rebuilt twice in the 19th century: firstly in 1804, and then by the architect A.W...
were affected; some 3,000 homes including the home of William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
at Kelmscott
Kelmscott
Kelmscott is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in West Oxfordshire, about east of Lechlade in neighbouring Gloucestershire.-Parish church:...
were flooded and 600 residents were evacuated, with many taking refuge in Oxford United Football Club's Kassam Stadium
Kassam Stadium
The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner, and former chairman of the club, Firoz Kassam....
.
On 24 July the Thames in Abingdon rose 3 feet (0.9 m) in less than 12 hours to a "perilously high" level and the Thames and the Severn were expected to rise to 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than normal.
On 25 July residents of Osney
Osney
Osney, Osney Island, or Osney Town is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford, England. It is located off the Botley Road, just west of the city's main railway station, on an island surrounded by the River Thames, known in Oxford as the Isis. Osney is part of the city council ward...
in west Oxford were advised to leave their homes. About 30 people went to the Kassam stadium
Kassam Stadium
The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner, and former chairman of the club, Firoz Kassam....
shelter while another 250 decided to stay with family and friends. Osney Mead substation, which supplies power to Oxford city centre, was threatened but did not flood. Later that evening, the Thames breached its banks at Henley
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
.
Shropshire
By 19 June, rain had washed away the main road at Hampton LoadeHampton Loade
Hampton Loade is a village in Shropshire, England along the Severn Valley. It is situated on the east bank of the River Severn at , and is notable for the unusual current-operated Hampton Loade Ferry, a cable ferry to the hamlet of Hampton on the west bank...
and the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
line from Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
was closed after numerous landslips on the line. Also, on 19 June/20 June, the town of Shifnal
Shifnal
Shifnal is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It forms part of The Wrekin constituency, and is about east of Telford. It has a railway station on the Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton Line and is near to the M54 motorway.-Early medieval time:...
near Telford, parts of the town were flooded when the stream by some of the residential areas burst its banks and some of the residents blame Severn Trent
Severn Trent
Severn Trent plc is a British public utility. It is traded on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.Severn Trent is a group of companies employing more than 15,000 people across the UK, US and mainland Europe, with some involvement in the Middle East.The main...
Water for opening floodgates at a local reservoir which caused the Flash Floods. Repair costs to the railway were estimated at £2 million.
On 26 June, a bridge collapsed on the main road into Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
, severing a gas main and causing the surrounding area to be evacuated.
On 1 July, a woman was pulled out of the River Severn at Jackfield
Jackfield
Jackfield is a village in Shropshire, England, bordering the small town of Broseley.-Location:It lies on the south bank of the River Severn, in the Ironbridge Gorge, and opposite the village of Coalport...
on the Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
border near Ironbridge
Ironbridge
Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...
. By 24 July, the UK National Ballooning Championships in Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
had been cancelled for the first time in their 32-year history.
Warwickshire
By 21 July, flooded parts of WarwickshireWarwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
included Alcester
Alcester
Alcester is an old market town of Roman origin at the junction of the River Alne and River Arrow in Warwickshire, England. It is situated approximately west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 8 miles south of Redditch, close to the Worcestershire border...
, Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, Shipston on Stour and Water Orton
Water Orton
Water Orton is a village near the River Tame in the North Warwickshire borough of Warwickshire in England. It is located between Castle Bromwich and Coleshill, and borders the West Midlands metropolitan county boundary to the north, west and south. At the last census in 2001, the population was...
. To a lesser extent, areas of Leamington Spa and Warwick also experienced flooding.
Several nature reserves in the Tame Valley, including Ladywalk and Kingsbury Water Park
Kingsbury Water Park
Kingsbury Water Park is a country park in north Warwickshire, England, not far from Birmingham and lying on the River Tame. It is owned and managed by Warwickshire County Council. It has fifteen lakes situated in over 600 acres of country park. It is renowned for its birdlife, and is popular with...
were badly affected, just as ground- and reedbed- nesting birds were hatching young.
West Midlands
200 people were forced to leave Witton Road and Tame Road in AstonAston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
when the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
flooded. Water entered the streets of Shirley
Shirley, West Midlands
Shirley is a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, in the county of West Midlands, England. It is a residential and shopping neighbourhood, and a suburb of Solihull.-History:...
, Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. As in Warwickshire, the Tame caused losses at a nature reserve; this time RSPB Sandwell Valley
RSPB Sandwell Valley
Sandwell Valley RSPB reserve is a nature reserve, run by the RSPB, in Sandwell Valley, to the north of West Bromwich, in the Sandwell borough of West Midlands in England. It is adjacent to, and shares its main lake with, Sandwell Valley Country Park....
.
Wiltshire
On 20 July, Swindon had a month's rainfall in less than half a day. More than 50 people were rescued from their flooded homes.Worcestershire
By 19 June, WorcestershireWorcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
was affected by flooding. A 68-year-old motorist died after he was trapped in his vehicle in flood water near Pershore
Pershore
Pershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304...
whilst attempting to cross an old ford in Bow Brook which was by then 2 m deep. The waters were still rising, endangering the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the River Teme
River Teme
The River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
and the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
. On 26 June 2007 the New Road Ground
New Road, Worcester
New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :...
, home to Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
, was flooded after the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
overtopped its banks, causing the next day's Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
match against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
to be cancelled. On 17 July, Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
was flooded for the second time in three weeks after a thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
caused flash flooding. By 21 July the M5
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
was affected, compounded by the closure of the Strensham services
Strensham services
Strensham services is a motorway service station on the M5 in Worcestershire, England. In August 2011, it was rated as 4 stars and 3 stars by quality assessors at Visit England....
, and the motorway was closed, stranding hundreds in their vehicles overnight.
By 23 July, parts of Worcestershire were under 6 feet (2 m) of water and the Army was brought in to help emergency services supply the inhabitants of Upton-upon-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn
Upton-upon-Severn is a small town and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District of Worcestershire, England, on the River Severn. According to the national census 2001 it had a population of 2,859. Located from Malvern, the bridge at Upton is the only one across the river Severn between Worcester...
which was cut-off by floodwater.
On 1 June, the first day of the floods. A road in Cropthorne
Cropthorne
Cropthorne is a village in Worcestershire, England within the Vale of Evesham, approximately southeast of Worcester. Cropthorne has a population of 589, in 237 households . Located on a small ridge overlooking the River Avon, its ancient orchards sweep down to the river and offer clear, unbroken...
near Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
was brutally forced down by a high impact of water flowing underneath the road in a pipe. The hole it made was 13 feet (4 m) deep and 33 feet (10.1 m) wide, traffic throughout the county was held up due to the collapsed main road. The site was named Cropthorne Canyon.
East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston upon Hull
On 15 June, the region was hit by flooding. Roads including the A63A63 road
The A63 is a major road in Yorkshire, England between Leeds and Hull.-Leeds – Howden:The route out to Selby is shadowed by the Leeds-Selby railway....
and A1105 in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
and schools in the region were closed, the Hull Lord Mayor's Parade was cancelled, the Festival of Football was postponed, police declared a major incident and Hessle
Hessle
Hessle is a town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, situated west of Kingston upon Hull city centre. Geographically it is part of a larger urban area which consists of the city of Kingston upon Hull, the town of Hessle and a number of other villages but is not part of the...
in Hull, on the border between one council
Hull City Council
Hull City Council is the governing body for the unitary authority and city of Kingston upon Hull. It was created in 1972 as the successor to the Corporation of Hull, which was also known as Hull Corporation....
and the other
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, suffered two square miles of severe sewage-contaminated flooding.
On 25 June, the region was hit by flooding again. Fire crews received over 1500 calls in a 12 hour period, dozens of homes in Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
and about 50 people at a Hull nursing home were evacuated, boats were used to evacuate about 90 people from 4 feet (1 m) of floodwater in Hull's County Road North, and in Hessle a 28 year old man died after becoming trapped in a drain. The new Hull police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
had to be vacated because of flooding. The next day, only 12 of Hull's 88 schools were still open, affecting 30,000 out of 38,000 Hull schoolchildren.
By 4 July in Hull, six schools were still closed and 120 residents in residential or nursing care had been relocated.
By 5 July, an estimated 35,000 people in streets containing 17,000 homes had been affected by flooding in Hull and by the next day more than 10,000 homes had been evacuated. Hull City Council
Hull City Council
Hull City Council is the governing body for the unitary authority and city of Kingston upon Hull. It was created in 1972 as the successor to the Corporation of Hull, which was also known as Hull Corporation....
estimated repair costs at £200 million.
By 24 July, Hull City Council had checked each house in the flooded streets and stated that 6,500 homes had been flooded.
By 27 July, £2.1 million had been allocated to Hull and £600,000 to the East Riding for clean-up and immediate repairs, and £3.2 million to Hull and £1.5 million to the East Riding for further repairs to the region's estimated 101 schools suffering significant flood damage.
By 3 September, figures released by Hull City Council had been revised upwards to 7,800 houses that had been flooded plus 1,300 businesses that were affected.
North Yorkshire
By 15 June, towns and villages in North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
were flooded, with Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
, Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
and York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
being particularly affected. In Scarborough, the main A171
A171 road
The A171 is a road in England that links the North Yorkshire towns of Middlesbrough and Scarborough. Locally it is known as The Moors Road.It takes the following route*starts at Middlesbrough, heads south*turns east at Nunthorpe*past Guisborough...
Scalby Road flooded outside Scarborough Hospital
Scarborough General Hospital
Scarborough General Hospital is an NHS district general hospital in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is run by the Scarborough and NE Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust....
, and the ornamental lake at Peasholm Park overtopped its banks and poured down Peasholm Gap into North Bay. Near Catterick, North Yorkshire
Catterick, North Yorkshire
Catterick , sometimes Catterick Village, to distinguish it from the nearby Catterick Garrison, is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England...
, a 17 year old soldier on a training exercise from Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
died after being swept away whilst crossing Risedale Beck, Hipswell Moor. On 23 June, flooding affected Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
.
Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
was flooded after Pickering Beck
River Rye, Yorkshire
The River Rye is a river in the English county of North Yorkshire. It rises just south of the Cleveland Hills, east of Osmotherley, and flows through Hawnby, Rievaulx, Helmsley, Nunnington, West and East Ness, Butterwick, Brawby, and Ryton, before joining the River Derwent at near Malton.On some...
overflowed its banks. On 18 July, streams overflowed and roads were blocked in Barton
Barton, North Yorkshire
Barton is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 884. It is situated near the border with the ceremonial county of County Durham, and is 6 miles south-west of Darlington. The village is recorded as...
, Gilling West
Gilling West
Gilling West is a large village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury....
, Melsonby
Melsonby
Melsonby is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It lies a few miles west of the A1 motorway.-Murder of Diana Garbutt:...
, Hartforth
Hartforth
Hartforth is a small village in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located in the civil parish of Gilling with Hartforth and Sedbury.Families recorded in the 1861 and 1891 census's can be viewed here: http://www.whashton.net/...
, Scotch Corner
Scotch Corner
Scotch Corner is an important junction of the A1 and A66 trunk roads near Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. It has been described as "the modern gateway to Cumbria, the North East and Scotland".-Geography:...
, Middleton Tyas
Middleton Tyas
Middleton Tyas is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located nearby to Scotch Corner.-History:The name Middleton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and it means middle-farm or middle-settlement...
and Kirby Hill
Kirby Hill, Richmondshire
Kirby Hill is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of around 60. It is notable for its large medieval parish church of St Peter and St Felix which is a Grade I listed building. It was built in 1397, on the site of a Saxon church...
after a freak rainstorm, and on 18 July 2007 a cloud burst left parts of Filey
Filey
Filey is a small town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the borough of Scarborough and is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on the North Sea coast. Although it started out as a fishing village, it has a large beach and is a popular tourist resort...
under 3 feet (1 m) of water, just caused by the rain, rather than by a river bursting its banks. Pensioners were stranded in the town's swimming pool and rescued by lifeboat.
South Yorkshire
On 25 June, SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
suffered extensive damage as the River Don over topped its banks causing widespread flooding in the Don Valley area of the city. A 14-year-old boy was swept away by the swollen River Sheaf
River Sheaf
The River Sheaf is a river in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its source is the union of the Totley Brook and the Old Hay Brook in Totley, now a suburb of Sheffield. It flows northwards, past Dore, through the valley called Abbeydale and north of Heeley...
and a 68 year old man died after attempting to cross a flooded road in Sheffield city centre, and lots of cattle were washed away, and found up to three and a half miles across fields in some areas of cultivated land. The Meadowhall
Meadowhall
Meadowhall is an indoor shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It lies three miles north east of Sheffield city centre and four miles from Rotherham town centre....
shopping centre was closed due to flooding with some shops remaining closed downstairs until late September and Sheffield Wednesday's
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
ground Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
was under 6 feet (1.83 m) of water. A number of people had to be rescued by RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
helicopters
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
from buildings in the Brightside
Brightside, South Yorkshire
Brightside is an industrial area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England lying on a hill north of Attercliffe and the River Don.Brightside was recorded in the fifteenth century as "Brekesherth", when it was home to some mills...
area, whilst in the Millhouses Park area to the southwest of the city the River Sheaf overtopped its banks causing widespread damage. There was also widespread flooding in Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
and Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
with much of these towns cut off.
By 26 June, the waters in some parts of Sheffield and the surrounding area had receded, but over 700 villagers from Catcliffe
Catcliffe
Catcliffe is a village and civil parish on the north-west bank of the River Rother in South Yorkshire, England. It is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, about south of the town of Rotherham and east of Sheffield City Centre.-History:...
, near Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
's Ulley reservoir
Ulley Reservoir
Ulley Reservoir is a reservoir located a few hundred metres to the west and downhill of the village of Ulley, south of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England...
were evacuated after cracks appeared in the dam. Emergency services from across England pumped millions of gallons of water from the reservoir to ease the pressure on the damaged dam, and the nearby M1 Motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
was closed between junctions 32 and 36 as a precaution.
On 27 June, the Army moved into the Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
area after the River Don overtopped its banks and threatened the area around what was Thorpe Marsh Power Station
Thorpe Marsh Power Station
Thorpe Marsh Power Station was a 1 Gigawatt coal-fired power station near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England.- History :Construction of the station began in 1959, it being built as a prototype for all the large modern power stations in the UK. It was commissioned between 1963 and 1965...
. A man was incorrectly reported missing near the village of Adwick le Street
Adwick le Street
Adwick-le-Street is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.-Geography:It is situated a few miles to the north west of the town of Doncaster. It has a population of 10,507....
near Doncaster.
West Yorkshire
On 15 June and again on 25 June, the villages of ScissettScissett
Scissett is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It is 14 km south east of Huddersfield and 16 km north west of Barnsley. According to the 2001 census, the village had a population of 1,324...
and Clayton West
Clayton West
Clayton West is a village in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 2,648 . and 2,704 in 2008. It is south east of Huddersfield and north west of Barnsley.It is in the parish of Clayton West and High Hoyland...
and other parts of Kirklees
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
were flooded by the River Dearne
River Dearne
The River Dearne is a river in South Yorkshire, England. It flows roughly east for more than , from its source just inside West Yorkshire, through Denby Dale, Clayton West, Darton, Barnsley, Darfield, Wath upon Dearne, Bolton on Dearne, Adwick upon Dearne and Mexborough to its confluence with the...
, the second time worse than the first.
On 29 June, Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
was flooded. Six elderly women, including a 91-year-old, were stranded in their homes.
During the Wakefield flood, hundreds of homes were evacuated in the Agbrigg area of Wakefield and looting was feared, but by 1 July only four looters had been arrested in the city and were later released on bail.
The Leeds village of Collingham
Collingham, West Yorkshire
Collingham is a village and civil parish south east of Wetherby in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough. The clergyman, the Reverend William Mompesson was born there in 1639....
(near Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
) was particularly effected by the flooding and one house was looted.
Affected areas in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland was hit by flooding in the June and July floods and it was Northern Ireland's wettest June since 1958. The non-administrative countiesCounties of Northern Ireland
The counties of Northern Ireland were the principal local government divisions of Northern Ireland from its creation in 1921 until 1972 when their governmental features were abolished and replaced with twenty-six unitary authorities....
and districts
Districts of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. In Northern Ireland local councils do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom, for example they have no responsibility for education, for road building or for housing...
affected are given below.
County Antrim
On 12 June, the KnockmoreLisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
campus of the Lisburn Institute
Association of Northern Ireland Colleges
The Association of Northern Ireland Colleges was established in 1998 following the incorporation of the 16 colleges of further and higher education in Northern Ireland.The 16 colleges were:*Armagh College*Belfast Institute*Castlereagh Institute...
in Lisburn
Lisburn City Council
Lisburn City Council is a district council covering an area partly in County Antrim and partly in County Down in Northern Ireland. The council is the second largest in the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Council headquarters are in the city of Lisburn, upon which was conferred city status in May 2002 as...
was affected by flooding. The same day, parts of East Belfast
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
near the Antrim-Down border that were affected included the Kings Road, Ladas Drive, Strandtown Primary School and the Parliament Buildings
Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)
The Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive...
in Stormont, with 80 residents evacuated from their old people's home on the Kings Road and Avoniel Leisure Centre opened to assist flood victims. On 2 July, houses were flooded and two people evacuated from their home in Cushendall
Cushendall
Cushendall and formerly known as Newtown Glens is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.It is on the A2 coast road between Glenariff and Cushendun, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
in Antrim after the River Dall burst its banks following heavy rain. On 16 July, parts of Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
near Aldergrove in Antrim were flooded by a freak thunderstorm leaving 10 planes unable to land, landslides closed the Antrim Coast Road near Ballygally
Ballygalley
Ballygalley or Ballygally is a village and holiday resort in County Antrim, Northern Ireland which lies on the Antrim coast, approximately 3 miles north of Larne...
, Larne
Larne Borough Council
Larne Borough Council is a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters is in the town of Larne and the population of the area is nearly 31,000...
, and people were trapped in their cars in Portrush
Portrush
Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....
, Coleraine
Coleraine Borough Council
Coleraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...
.
County Down
On 15 June, there was severe flooding around BangorBangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
in North Down
North Down Borough Council
North Down Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland with an overall population of around 80,000. Its main town is Bangor, 20 km east of Belfast with a population of approximately 55,000. The Council is headquartered in Bangor. Its secondary centre is the former Urban...
, Saintfield
Saintfield
Saintfield is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated roughly halfway between Belfast and Downpatrick on the A7 road. It had a population of 2,959 people in the 2001 Census. The village proper is considered predominantly a middle or upper-middle class town and of both Catholic and...
, Crossgar
Crossgar
Crossgar is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about 15 miles south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population of 1,539 people in the 2001 Census.- History :...
and Ballynahinch in Down
Down District Council
Down District Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland. The Council is headquartered in Downpatrick. Other towns in the Council area are Ardglass, Ballynahinch, Castlewellan, Clough, Crossgar, Dundrum, Killough, Killyleagh, Newcastle, Saintfield, Seaforde and Strangford...
and Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
and Comber
Comber
Comber is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 8,933 people in the 2001 Census. Comber is part of the Borough of Ards...
in Ards, with shops in Crossgar
Crossgar
Crossgar is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about 15 miles south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population of 1,539 people in the 2001 Census.- History :...
centre flooded.
County Londonderry
On 12 June, MagherafeltMagherafelt District Council
Magherafelt District Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Council headquarters are in Magherafelt. The Council area stretches from Lough Neagh and the River Bann in the east and into the Sperrin Mountains in the west and is divided by the Moyola River. It covers...
was affected by flooding. On 16 July, roads in Aghadowey
Aghadowey
Aghadowey is a village and townland in east County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in Aghadowey civil parish, and is part of Coleraine Borough Council...
, Coleraine
Coleraine Borough Council
Coleraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...
and Portstewart
Portstewart
Portstewart is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,803 people in the 2001 Census. It is a seaside resort neighbouring Portrush. Of the two towns, Portstewart is decidedly quieter with more sedate attractions. Its harbour and scenic coastal paths form an...
, Coleraine
Coleraine Borough Council
Coleraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...
were rendered impassable by floodwater.
County Tyrone
On 12 June, OmaghOmagh District Council
Omagh District Council is a local council in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters is in the town of Omagh, which is the traditional county town of Tyrone. The council area is about , making it the second largest local council area in Northern Ireland with a population of just over...
and Dungannon
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. Its main town is Dungannon, where the council is headquartered. The council area covers the southern part of County Tyrone and has a population of nearly 48,000...
were affected by flooding, with a Dunnes
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores, also known as Dunnes, is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain...
supermarket evacuated in Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
.
Affected areas in Scotland
Scotland was hit by flooding in June and July, with the Scottish LowlandsScottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
most badly affected. On 12 June, the Met Office issued torrential rain warnings for Scotland and it was Scotland's wettest June since 1938. The non-administrative counties
Lieutenancy areas of Scotland
The lieutenancy areas of Scotland are the areas used for the ceremonial lord-lieutenants, the monarch's representatives, in Scotland. They are different from the local government council areas, the committee areas, the sheriffdoms, the registration counties, the former regions and districts, the...
and council areas
Subdivisions of Scotland
For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
affected are given below.
Ayrshire and Arran
On 21 June, about 2000 homes were left without electricity and properties were affected as flash floods hit KilmarnockKilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
. On 18 July, flooding affected Kilmarnock again, the River Irvine
River Irvine
The River Irvine is a river flowing through southwest Scotland, with its watershed on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven...
burst its banks in Newmilns
Newmilns
Newmilns and Greenholm is a small burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people and lies on the A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of Glasgow...
, and flash floods affected roads including the M77
M77 motorway
The M77 motorway is a motorway in Scotland. It originally began in southern Glasgow at the M8 motorway at Kinning park, and terminates near Kilmarnock at the village of Fenwick. However, changes were made in autumn 2005 segregating a lane on the M8 motorway almost as far as the Kingston Bridge,...
.
Dumfries
On 18 July, floods wrecked homes in CloseburnCloseburn, Dumfries and Galloway
Closeburn is a village and civil parish in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The village is on the A76 road south of Thornhill. In the 2001 census, Closeburn had a population of 1,119,...
, power was cut off at Eaglesfield, and roads were closed at Moffat
Moffat
Moffat is a former burgh and spa town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, lying on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. The most notable building in the town is the Moffat House Hotel, designed by John Adam...
and Lochmaben
Lochmaben
Lochmaben is a small town in Scotland, and site of a once-important castle. It lies four miles west of Lockerbie, in Dumfries and Galloway.-Notable people:*Angus Douglas - Scottish internationalist footballer...
.
Edinburgh and Midlothian
On 1 July rain cancelled the one-day international cricket match between Scotland and PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and by 3 July parts of Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
were flooded, with worst hit areas including residential areas in Dalkeith
Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the River North Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1540...
and Mayfield
Mayfield, Midlothian
Mayfield is a community in Midlothian, Scotland, located just South of Dalkeith between the A68 and the A7 south.This housing development was built, in the 1950s, as overspill accommodation for the colliery workers of nearby Newtongrange and Easthouses and for other essential workers, as well as to...
.
Glasgow and Lanarkshire
On 22 June, heavy storms flooded roads and dumped debris on the railway line in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The same day, torrential rain caused a landslide just south of Lesmahagow
Lesmahagow
Lesmahagow is a small town on the edge of moorland, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. It is also known as Abbey Green.-Etymology:The name is possibly a corruption of "Church of St Machutus"...
, closing the M74.
Moray
On 3 July a landslide caused by floodwater disrupted traffic on the A941 RothesRothes
Rothes is a town in Moray, Scotland, south of Elgin and on the banks of the River Spey. The village has a population of 1209 .At the south end of the village lie the remains of Rothes Castle, which dates from the 13th century...
to Aberlour
Aberlour
Aberlour , is the name of a place in Moray, Scotland, 12 miles south of Elgin on the road to Grantown. A burn , a tributary of the River Spey, and surrounding parish, are both named Aberlour, but the name is most commonly used in reference to the village which straddles the stream and flanks the...
road in Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
.
Ross and Cromarty
On 18 July, heavy rain caused landslips blocking the railway line between StrathcarronStrathcarron railway station
Strathcarron railway station is a remote railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the small village of Strathcarron, and the larger village of Lochcarron in the Highlands, northern Scotland.- External links :...
and Achnasheen
Achnasheen
Achnasheen is a small village in Ross-shire in the Highland council area of Scotland. Despite the size of the village, Achnasheen is also the name of a postal district which covers several much larger communities. This dates from the time when the village railway station was an important stop on...
for a predicted 10 days,
Tweeddale
On 25 June rain forced the 108-year old BeltaneBeltane
Beltane or Beltaine is the anglicised spelling of Old Irish Beltaine or Beltine , the Gaelic name for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.Bealtaine was historically a Gaelic festival celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.Bealtaine...
Festival in Peebles
Peebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
to be held indoors for the first time.
Affected areas in Wales
Wales was hit by flooding in June and July, with the Eastern areas most badly affected. It was Wales's wettest June since 1998, and its second wettest since 1914. The preserved countiesPreserved counties of Wales
The preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for the ceremonial purposes of Lieutenancy and Shrievalty. They are based on the counties created by the Local Government Act 1972 and used for local government and other purposes between 1974 and 1996.-Usage:The Local Government ...
and principal areas affected are given below.
Clwyd
On 26 June, roads including the A5 were impassable at CorwenCorwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, a river overflowed at Worthenbury in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, and properties were affected in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. In North Wales, a man was rescued by fire services after he was stranded on a small island in the River Dee
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
in Llangollen
Llangollen
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. On 17 July, flash floods after torrential rain forced the closure of a secondary school in Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
.
Dyfed
LampeterLampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
in Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
was affected by flooding on 11 June and then again on 15 June.
Gwent
On 26 June, properties were affected in TinternTintern
Tintern is a village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about 5 miles north of Chepstow...
on the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
. On 20 July, flash floods affected parts of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
and Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
.
Powys
In MontgomeryshireMontgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
, ten people were taken to safety at Tregynon
Tregynon
Tregynon is a small village and community in Powys, Wales. It rests on the B4389 road which runs from Bettws Cedewain to New Mills. The country house Gregynog is nearby....
and a dozen homes were flooded at Bettws Cedewain
Bettws Cedewain
Bettws Cedewain , also known as Bettws Cedewen, is a small village and community in Powys, Wales. It lies in a sheltered valley on the banks of the Bechan Brook, some 3 miles north of Newtown....
on 22 July, firefighters used a boat to evacuate five people from a house near Welshpool
Welshpool
Welshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
after they were cut off by floods on 23 July, and the same boat was later used to rescue three people stranded in a car on the A483. In Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
, 30 tonnes of debris and earth blocked the only road out of Barland near Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
on 23 July. In Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
, the River Wye burst its banks in Builth Wells
Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....
on 1 July,
the saturated ground later causing chaos at the Royal Welsh Show
Royal Welsh Show
The Royal Welsh Show is the biggest agricultural show in Europe. It is organised by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which was formed in 1904, and takes place in July of each year, at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, in Powys, Mid Wales....
in Llanelwedd
Llanelwedd
Llanelwedd is a village near Builth Wells, in Powys, Wales. It lies within the historic boundaries of the former county of Radnorshire.-Location and geography:...
on 24 July.
South Glamorgan
On 20 July, flash floods affected the Vale of GlamorganVale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
, causing schools to be evacuated, roads to be closed, and boats used to rescue people from their homes in Barry.
Timeline for June and July floods
Areas affected by flooding during this period were as follows (see above for specific citations):- 1–7 June:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Buckinghamshire)- 8–14 June:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Lancashire), - Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(Belfast, Cookstown, Dungannon, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Omagh), - WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(Ceredigion)- 15–21 June:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(County Durham, Herefordshire, North and West Yorkshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire), - Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(Ards, Down, North Down), - ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Ayrshire, Lanarkshire), - WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(Ceredigion)- 22–28 June:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, South Yorkshire), - ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Peebles), - WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(Denbighshire, Flintshire, Monmouthshire, Wrexham)- 29 June-5 July:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Buckinghamshire, Lancashire, West Yorkshire), - Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(Antrim), - ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Midlothian, Moray)- 6–12 July:
- De facto gap between the June and July floods
- 13–19 July:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(County Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Worcestershire), - Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
(Coleraine, Larne), - ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, Ross and Cromarty), - WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(Denbighshire)- 20–26 July:
- EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire), - WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(Newport, Monmouthshire, Powys, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan)
Rescue effort
Following the flooding in late June, the rescue effort was described by the Fire Brigades UnionFire Brigades Union
The Fire Brigades Union is a trade union in the United Kingdom for wholetime Firefighters , Retained Duty System and Emergency Control Room staff...
as the "biggest in peacetime Britain". Following the flooding in July, the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
said it is carrying out its biggest ever peacetime rescue operation, with six Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
helicopters from as far afield as RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, RAF Valley
RAF Valley
RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
in Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
and RAF Leconfield
RAF Leconfield
The former RAF Leconfield, or 'Leconfield Camp' was a Royal Air Force airbase in Leconfield , East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site is now used by the MoD Defence School of Transport Leconfield .-History:...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
rescuing up to 120 people. An RAF heavy lift Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopter was also employed to move aggregate to reinforce the banks of the River Don. The Environment Agency described the situation as "critical".
4x4 Response
4x4 Response
4x4 Response is the UK based national organisation using 4x4 vehicles to offer support in adverse conditions, working with Voluntary Organisations and Emergency Services.-History:...
groups from throughout the UK assisted councils and blue light services during and in the immediate aftermath of the flooding. During the recovery phase a number of responders from around the UK 4x4 Response
4x4 Response
4x4 Response is the UK based national organisation using 4x4 vehicles to offer support in adverse conditions, working with Voluntary Organisations and Emergency Services.-History:...
assisted the Red Cross in the distribution of fresh drinking water in the Gloucestershire area after mains drinking water was contaminated.
Health risks
The Health Protection AgencyHealth Protection Agency
The Health Protection Agency, or, in Welsh, Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu Iechyd is a statutory corporation. It is an independent UK organisation that was set up by the government in 2003 to protect the public from threats to their health from infectious diseases and environmental hazards...
advised people that the risk of contracting any illness was low but that it was best to avoid coming into direct contact with floodwater. There were no reported cases of any outbreaks.
Crop damage
The floods caused widespread crop damage, especially broccoliBroccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
, carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
and potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es. In parts of Lincolnshire it was estimated that 40% of the pea crop may have been damaged, with other crops also suffering major losses. Prices of vegetables were expected to rise in the following months.
Financial cost
Environment AgencyEnvironment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
chief executive Baroness Young
Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone
Barbara Scott Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone sits on the cross benches in the House of Lords. She was created a life peer in 1997 as Baroness Young of Old Scone, of Old Scone in Perth and Kinross....
said that about £1 billion a year was needed to improve flood defences. The Association of British Insurers has estimated the total bill for the June and July floods as £3 billion.
Government response
On 3 July, Environment SecretarySecretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the successor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport...
Hilary Benn
Hilary Benn
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...
announced that the Government would increase the spending on risk management and flood defences by £200 million to £800 million by 2010-11.
During Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
later that month, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
promised £46 million in aid to flood-hit councils and £800 million rise in annual spending on flood protection by 2010-11, confirming Hilary Benn's announcement. Brown also pledged to push insurance firms to make payouts.
On 22 July, the Government convened COBRA
Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms
Cabinet Office Briefing Room is a term used to describe the formation of a crisis response committee, coordinating the actions of bodies within the government of the United Kingdom in response to instances of national or regional crisis, or during events abroad with major implications for the UK...
to co-ordinate the response to the crisis.
Visiting Gloucestershire on 25 July, Mr. Brown praised emergency services for their efforts, but added: "We've got to get the supplies stepped up. We will get more tankers in, we will get more bowsers in, we will get more regular filling of them, and at the same time, more bottled water
Bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not...
will be provided."
On 8 August 2007 Defra announced that Sir Michael Pitt
Michael Pitt (British civil servant)
Sir Michael Edward Pitt DL is chair of the Infrastructure Planning Commission, which has the role of considering planning applications for national infrastructure projects under the Planning Act 2008, and was appointed Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate from 1 April 2011.Pitt graduated...
would chair an independent review of the response to the flooding. On 4 September of that year the Cabinet Office website launched a comments page to let people affected by the flooding contribute their experiences to the review.
Sir Michael published his interim report on 17 December 2007.
In April 2010 the government passed the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, which implemented many of Sir Michael Pitt's recommendations.
Criticism of Hull Council
Hull Council was criticised for not insuring the city's libraries, schools and other public buildings. In response, Hull Council said that "Many councils do not have the feature in their budget", but other flood-hit councils were insured. It was thought that council tax payers would be left with the bill, as emergency Government funding would not cover it.Criticism of Government response
In June, councillors in Hull claimed that the city was being forgotten and had the floods occurred in the Home CountiesHome Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
, help would have arrived much more quickly. One in five homes in Hull was damaged and 90 out of the city's 105 schools suffered some damage. Damage to the schools alone was estimated to cost £100 million. The Bellwin Scheme for providing aid after natural disasters was criticised as inadequate by Hull MP Diana Johnson
Diana Johnson
Diana Ruth Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hull North since 2005; she was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for Schools in the Department for Children, Schools and Families until the resignation of Gordon Brown as...
. The lack of media coverage of flooding in Kingston upon Hull led the city council leader Carl Minns to dub Hull "the forgotten city".
In July, the Government came under mounting criticism of its handling of the crisis, the fact that responsibilities were spread across four departments and no single minister could be held responsible, and the fact that the Army had not been called in to assist.
The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper stated on 22 July 2007 that the Government had been warned in the spring by the Met Office that summer flooding would be likely because the El Niño phenomenon had weakened, but no action was taken.
In response to the criticism, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Sunday AM
Sunday AM
The Andrew Marr Show is an hour-long British television programme broadcast on BBC One on Sunday mornings from 9am. It is presented by Andrew Marr, previously the BBC's Political Editor. In it, the host interviews political figures and others involved in the current events of the week...
programme that "This was very, very intense rainfall, with five inches in 24 hours in some areas; even some of the best defences are going to be overwhelmed". He praised the way the emergency services had dealt with "unprecedented" levels of rainfall and said he had "total confidence" in the response of the Environment Agency.
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
called for a public inquiry into the flooding after visiting Witney
Witney
Witney is a town on the River Windrush, west of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England.The place-name 'Witney' is first attested in a Saxon charter of 969 as 'Wyttannige'; it appears as 'Witenie' in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name means 'Witta's island'....
, the main town in his Oxfordshire constituency.
Then Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
leader Sir Menzies Campbell accused the government of lack of preparation leading to a "summer of suffering", and said, "With sophisticated weather forecasting as we now have, particularly in relation to what's happened over the weekend, there are quite a few questions as to how it was that flood-prevention measures were not in place or were not more effective."
See also
- List of natural disasters in the United Kingdom
- Great Sheffield FloodGreat Sheffield FloodNot to be confused with the floods in Sheffield in 2007.The Great Sheffield Flood was a flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England, on 11 March 1864, when the Dale Dyke Dam broke.- Collapse of Dale Dyke Dam :...
- Rihanna Curse
- Flood risk assessmentFlood risk assessmentA flood risk assessment is an assessment of the risk of flooding, particularly in relation to residential, commercial and industrial land use.-England and Wales:...
- November 2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods