Extreme Weather Takes Britain By Surprise
Heavy showers and thunderstorms have brought flash flooding to parts of Yorkshire as forecasters predict more unsettled weather.
Flood alerts still remain in place in at least 13 areas of the UK, mostly in the South West, although the heaviest showers today are expected to appear across Scotland, northern England, the Midlands and eastern England.
But some sunny intervals are still likely. Further west, after a few showers early on, the weather is expected to be largely fine – so for Ireland, Wales and south west England it should be a largely bright afternoon with sunny spells.
But by this evening and tonight showers are expected to die away from most parts of Britain, although some will linger across eastern Scotland.
Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: “From the middle of the week we can expect to see a change in the weather.
“This is because high pressure will settle things down bringing drier, sunnier conditions which will hopefully hold until the Olympics closing ceremony on 12 August.
“The other bit of good news is that it will also warm up a bit with temperatures forecast to climb into the mid-high 20s Celsius, or upper 70s in Fahrenheit.”
On Sunday, parts of the UK were lashed by floods and storms.
A freak hailstorm in Bradford was documented by photos posted on Twitter with contributors expressing amazement at an ice-covered street in August.
One wrote: “There’s a crazy storm going on in Bradford at the moment! Heavy hail and a river running down the road.”
Others posted pictures of rare funnel clouds in parts of West Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire Fire Service reported a series of flood-related call outs after storms swept across the county.
In one incident, in the Frizinghall area of Bradford, firefighters rescued one person from a property when surging floodwater rushed through a house and ”took out an internal wall and surrounding pavements”.
In the Manningham area of the city flats were evacuated after floodwaters rose and crews were also in action again in Todmorden which was badly affected by flooding earlier this summer.
Later, Northumbria Police said most routes in its area had been reopened but the Swing Bridge, linking Gateshead to Newcastle near the Tyne Bridge, remained closed due to debris caused by the flash flood.
Superintendent Mick Paterson said: “There have been a number of disruptions around the force after a downfall of rain this afternoon.
“We have been working with our partners to monitor the situation and ensure their is as minimal disruption to people as possible.
“Most the roads have now reopened however the Swing Bridge in Gateshead remains closed.”
Metro stations are closed at Gateshead Central, Jesmond and Newcastle Central Station and there are no trains running from Monument and Heworth, the police said.
Other trains are running but with delays.
