England Flooding: Heavy Rain Forces Evacuation of Hundreds of Homes
Flooding in England has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes due to a severe storm followed by a week of intense rain.
Over 230 flood warnings are active, mainly in the Midlands, East Anglia, and southern England, prompting many to leave their residences.
Travel disruptions continue as roads and railways flood.
A significant emergency has been reported near the River Trent in Nottinghamshire.
Residents near the river are suffering from property and business damage, and emergency services struggle to reach affected areas due to major road closures.
The River Trent has hit near-record levels, the highest in 24 years, according to the Environment Agency. It reached 5.35m, close to the 2000 record of 5.5m.
The Agency's Caroline Douglass reported on the BBC that hundreds of English properties were flooded, highlighting evacuations on Alney Island, Gloucester.
Intense rainfall, exacerbated by prior storms Babet and Ciaran, has heavily saturated the ground, leaving no room for additional water.
Storm Henk brought recent woes, marking the eighth storm in three months. However, forecasts predict cooler, drier weather ahead.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather alert due to sharply dropping temperatures. The alert starts on Saturday morning and lasts until January 12th.
In Nottinghamshire, over 100 homes are flooded, with possible increases.
Firefighters led about 50 individuals to safety in east London after canal flooding, while a Thames party boat sunk during the downpour.
The River Avon's Pulteney Weir in Bath is submerged, with local business owners stunned by the water levels.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure from opposition to visit flood-hit regions. While he's spoken to affected residents, he hasn't committed to an on-site visit, emphasizing the Environment Agency's efforts and pump deployment.
Labour criticizes the government's flood response and demands a high-level task force. Despite this, no Cobra meeting is planned; the Environment Secretary stays informed.
The Environment Agency forecasts continued rainfall effects for much of England over the next few days.
Heavy rainfall has been recorded, with Otterbourne in Hampshire receiving 35.2mm and southern England experiencing 20-30mm. Suffolk's Wattisham has already exceeded its January rain average.
Rail services are impacted, with warnings from train companies about flood-related disruptions.
Great Western Railway advises early travel and journey checks, with routes from Reading to Taunton and Swindon to Bristol Parkway compromised.
South Western Railway has been hampered by a landslip, but service is expected to resume Saturday.
Experts link an increasingly warm atmosphere to more frequent intense rain and storms. While many factors influence extreme weather, determining climate change's role requires scientific analysis.
The world has warmed by around 1.1C since the industrial era, with continued temperature rise unless global emissions are significantly reduced.