December 27, 2015

Hundreds flee homes as swaths of northern England submerged by floods

Robin McKie and agencies
Sunday 27 December 2015 03.18 EST

• Met Office issues two highest-level red weather warnings
• Rescue services called to hundreds of incidents in Lancashire
• Severe flood warning in place for Leeds city centre

Hundreds of people fled their homes after torrential rain triggered flooding in towns across Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and dangerously high waters even reached the cities of Manchester and Leeds.

The Met Office issued two of its most serious, red weather warnings – indicating a danger to life – for the area and warned that up to five inches of rain could fall over the weekend. In addition, the Environment Agency (EA) issued 31 severe flood warnings – which also signal danger to life – as well as hundreds of standard flood warnings, which mean that immediate action is required.

David Cameron was expected to chair a conference call of the government’s emergency Cobra committee on Sunday. “My thoughts are with people whose homes have been flooded,” he said in a statement.

In Leeds a severe flood warning was put in place for the city centre, with the river Aire expected to reach a record peak on Saturday night. The EA said it was due to “significant impacts to infrastructure and risk to life in the area”.

Police advised between 300 and 400 people to evacuate in York by the rivers Ouse and Foss. The Environment Agency said pumps in the Foss barrier were at risk of electrical failure due to water entering the building and a decision had been taken to lift the barrier.

York city council said an emergency meeting had been held and the river Ouse was expected to peak metres above normal summer levels on Monday afternoon.

Click on Link:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/26/hundreds-flee-their-homes-as-englands-north-is-submerged