Latest news with #torrentialrain
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Met Office issues thunderstorm warning as stormy conditions to batter south coast and trains suspended amid flooding fears
Parts of South East England were battered by torrential downpours today with more than an inch of rain falling in just an hour as trains were suspended due to flooding. The Met Office imposed a yellow thunderstorm warning for parts of East Sussex and Kent until 5pm, covering Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Folkestone and Dover. Some areas were told to expect 20mm (0.8in) to 25mm (1in) of rain in less than an hour, with 30mm (1.2in) to 40mm (1.6in) in one to two hours in a few locations. The alert, which was activated as soon as it was announced at 12.52pm, comes amid concerns driving conditions will be affected by spray and standing water. Forecasters also warned of power cuts; damage to buildings and structures from lightning strikes; flooding of homes and businesses; and delays to public transport. Train operator Southern said its services between Hastings and Ashford International were cancelled this afternoon after the railway flooded and blocked all lines. It comes a day after England's fourth major hosepipe ban of summer came into force as Thames Water activated restrictions for more than one million customers. Homes served by the firm in parts of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire were hit by the ban following one of the driest springs on record. Despite four days of downpours since Saturday, company bosses said they could not confirm when restrictions will end because it is "generally waiting for rain". Some 1.1million customers with postcodes OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8 and RG9 now have the ban - but it was avoided by London, which is also served by Thames Water. The ban follows Southern Water activating restrictions for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on Monday. That followed other bans implemented by South East Water for parts of Kent and Sussex last Friday, and in the Yorkshire Water region since July 11.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Flash flooding and downpours bring chaos to roads and railways across Scotland
Flash flooding and torrential downpours have brought chaos to roads and railways across Scotland after more than two weeks worth of rain fell overnight. All trains between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh on the scenic Kyle Railway Line were cancelled after the track between Garve and Achanalt, in Ross-shire, was submerged underwater. Network Rail was forced to close the line after the heavy rain caused a 'significant' amount of silt and floodwater to cover the track. Images also showed the road leading to the station at Achanalt badly damaged and strewn with mud and gravel after more than two and a half inches (66.4mm) of rain - more than two weeks worth - fell between 2pm on Monday and 5am yesterday. To show the extent of the flooding, Network Rail shared a photo of the submerged track at Achanalt station, saying: 'Here's some footage of what we're dealing with at Achanalt. 'The speed and volume of the floodwater, plus the silt it's washing onto the tracks, makes it unsafe to run trains here.' Engineers were sent to assess the track with an inspection expected to take several hours as they worked to clear the lines. ScotRail confirmed that no stations along the route would be served until at least the end of the day [Tuesday]. The operator said: 'Our staff onsite continue to work to clear large amounts of debris and silt which are obstructing the track after previous flood water. The line remains closed.' Elsewhere in the Highlands water was seen streaming like a river onto the busy A835 near Ullapool, while two inches of rain fell near Loch Droma, which led to tumultuous water falls at Corrieshalloch Gorge. In Newton St Boswells, Roxburghshire, the water levels became so deep one resident was seen using a paddle board to cross a flooded section of road which had become impassible. Several buildings, including a Lidl supermarket, in Perth, were also reported to have been forced to shut due to the torrential downpours, with a yellow weather warning for parts of the country ending at 6am yesterday [Tuesday] as residents likened the conditions to a 'monsoon'. It comes as forecasters gave a glimmer of hope that the sun would break through the clouds later this week with a chance of thermometers hitting above 20C in cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. But the Met office warned the sunshine will be 'quite short lived'. Meanwhile, residents in Tobermory, on the island of Mull, have been urged to take short showers amid 'extremely low' water supplies. Scottish Water has urged residents to use water as efficiently as possible in homes, businesses and gardens to help protect resources and maintain normal supplies following what has been the driest start to the year across Scotland since 1964.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
At least 14 dead in ‘once-in-a-century' storms in South Korea
At least 14 people have died and 12 are missing after five days of torrential rain in South Korea in what the national weather agency described as a 'once-in-a-century' event. The country's southern regions have received up to 600-800 millimetres of rain since Wednesday, some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record. Torrential downpours hit Gapyeong, a resort town 70km east of Seoul on early Sunday, leaving at least two dead and four missing. One person was found dead after being swept away by the floods, and another was killed after their house collapsed because of the heavy rainfall. There are concerns that the death toll could continue to rise, with 12 people still missing according to the Ministry of the Interior and the Safety and National Fire Agency on Sunday. Over 2,000 public buildings have been damaged across the country, according to the ministry, with reports of damage to farmland and the death of livestock. Communication remains unstable in the areas hit by flooding, and many sites remain inaccessible, according to local reports. Footage shows heavy rainfall in the south of the country, with submerged vehicles, roads blocked by water, people wading through the streets and the extensive damage to farmland. In response to the floods, Lee Jae-myung, South Korea's president, ordered on Sunday for the areas that were hit the hardest by the extreme weather to be designated as special disaster zones, and the government has set up a multi-agency recovery effort. The majority of deaths have occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, with eight people killed and six others unaccounted for in the town following landslides, flash floods and the collapse of houses after experiencing almost 800 millimetres of rainfall since Wednesday. Earlier this week, three people were found dead in a flooded car, and a person was also killed after their car was buried by soil and concrete after an overpass collapsed in Osan, south of Seoul. Across the region, nearly 10,000 people have evacuated their homes since Wednesday, while more than 41,000 households have temporarily lost power, the BBC reports. South Korea also endured heavy rain and flooding in 2022, killing at least 11 people. The rain has mostly stopped in the worst-affected southern and central areas, with the rainfall moving north overnight and is expected to last until Monday in some areas, before a heatwave next week. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Video: Death toll rises after South Korea floods and landslides
Death toll rises after South Korea floods and landslides NewsFeed Days of torrential rain and landslides in South Korea have killed at least 18 people. Video Duration 00 minutes 36 seconds 00:36 Video Duration 01 minutes 06 seconds 01:06 Video Duration 00 minutes 46 seconds 00:46 Video Duration 01 minutes 18 seconds 01:18 Video Duration 01 minutes 52 seconds 01:52 Video Duration 02 minutes 10 seconds 02:10 Video Duration 00 minutes 57 seconds 00:57
CNA
3 days ago
- Climate
- CNA
Torrential rain leaves at least 18 dead in South Korea, trail of devastation
GAPYEONG, South Korea: Severe wet weather in South Korea eased on Monday (Jul 21) following days of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides and left at least 18 people dead, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday (Jul 21). Nine people remained missing as of Sunday evening, the ministry said, with residents of the worst-hit areas in shock. At Gapyeong, some 62km northeast of the capital Seoul, some residents recalled narrow escapes from the floods after 173ml of rain deluged the area over just 17 hours on Sunday. Gapyeong was among a number of places that saw a record amount of rain in a single day and broke the previous high for national daily precipitation of 156.3mm that was set on Sep 30, 1998. "The ground just sank beneath me, and the water rose all the way up to my neck. Luckily, there was an iron pipe nearby. I held on to it with all my strength," said Ahn Gyeong-bun, the owner of a restaurant that was almost completely destroyed. Two people died and four were missing after a landslide engulfed homes around Gapyeong and floods swept away vehicles as of Sunday, the ministry said. For those remaining like Ahn, an uncertain future awaits. "I've run this restaurant for 10 years ... What am I supposed to do now?" said Ahn, as she stood next to the badly damaged structure of her building perched next to a still swollen river. At times breaking down in tears, the 65-year-old said several of the restaurant's refrigerators were washed away by the flood. Across South Korea, rain damage had been reported to 1,999 public structures and 2,238 private facilities, including farms, the interior ministry said. While the rain has eased, the national weather agency has now issued a nationwide heatwave watch. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough response to the disaster, his office said. "As local heavy rains have become commonplace, customised measures based on regional characteristics are urgently needed," said Kang Yu-jung, the spokesperson for Lee's office. "If serious laxity or mistakes are found in civil servants' discipline, we will hold them accountable and thorough measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence." Lee, who took office in June, has promised to make the country safer and to prevent any repeat of the disasters in recent years that have often been blamed on the inadequate response by authorities.
