An amber weather warning for torrential rain remains in force across eastern Northern Ireland until 8am today, with the Met Office warning of “danger to life” from fast-flowing floodwater as some areas brace for up to 75mm of rain in just hours.
The heightened alert covers County Antrim, County Armagh and County Down, where a band of “very heavy rain” swept through overnight, bringing risks of flash flooding, power cuts and communities being cut off by floodwater. The warning was escalated from yellow to amber at 7.30pm on Sunday evening.
Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge warned that Northern Ireland faced the most severe conditions, with potential rainfall of 50 to 75mm within 12 to 18 hours – more than half the region’s average July rainfall of 89mm falling in less than a day.
“It looks like Northern Ireland is the place where we could see the most rainfall and certainly the most impactful rainfall,” Mr Partridge said. “They could see 50 to 75mm of rain within 12 to 18 hours.”
Chief Meteorologist Andy Page emphasised the intensity of the downpour, stating: “A band of very heavy rain will pivot over Northern Ireland during Sunday night, bringing totals of possibly 50-75mm in just a short period of time. This high intensity rainfall can lead to flooding, with impacts on properties, transport networks and power outages.
The amber warning specifically cautions that “fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life,” with homes and businesses likely to be flooded and some communities potentially cut off by flooded roads. Train and bus services face delays and cancellations, whilst power cuts threaten to leave properties without electricity.
Police Service of Northern Ireland reported flooding already affecting routes in Fermanagh on Sunday evening. Marble Arch Road, Florencecourt, and Sligo Road, Enniskillen, were both described as impassable. Please take care when travelling, slow down, and exercise caution on affected roads,” a PSNI spokeswoman advised.
Meanwhile, thunderstorm warnings blanket much of England and Scotland today, with the potential for 20 to 40mm of rain in just two hours in some locations. Yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms are in effect until 9pm for southern and eastern England, whilst the Midlands, northern England and Scotland fall under the same warning from 11am.
“We could see some locally heavy downpours, 20 to 40mm of rain is possible in a couple of hours,” Mr Partridge explained. “That is potentially up to around half a month’s worth of rain in a couple of hours in some places.”
The extreme weather follows an already saturated weekend. Saturday’s deluge brought 47.2mm to Charlwood in Surrey – close to a month’s worth of rainfall. Scotland’s Aboyne recorded 47.6mm between 5pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday.
More than 20 flood alerts remain active across England and Scotland. The Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency have warned residents to check their flood risk and prepare emergency supplies, including torches, batteries and mobile phone power packs.
“You will see quite a lot of water on the roads and difficult driving conditions,” Mr Partridge cautioned. “Hopefully nothing more significant than that, it certainly won’t be an issue for any of the rivers because they are quite low.”
The Met Office attributes the severe weather to low pressure and humid, moist air across the country, creating conditions ripe for heavy, thundery showers. However, forecasters note that even within warning areas, some locations may escape the worst conditions and remain dry.
Affected communities have been urged to avoid driving through floodwater. “It is not safe to drive, walk or swim through floodwater, avoid it where possible and if you are affected by fast-flowing or deep water call 999, and wait for help,” the Met Office advised.
Multi-agency partners met throughout Sunday to coordinate responses to the weather warnings. The amber alert prompted authorities to prepare for widespread disruption to Monday morning’s commute, with motorists advised to check road conditions before travelling.
Looking ahead, the unsettled pattern is expected to persist throughout the week. Further thundery downpours are forecast across Britain, particularly in southern regions, with daytime temperatures remaining near average but overnight conditions becoming milder.
Sunny spells and scattered showers remain the theme this week as low pressure continues to bring unsettled conditions,” the Met Office stated. “Less showers, more sunshine by Thursday, with temperatures around the seasonal average.”
The prospect of sustained warm weather appears limited. The Met Office’s long-range forecast indicates “only a small chance of hot spells” between 25 July and 3 August, though conditions may improve as August progresses.
“There are signs that high pressure to the southwest may try to extend its influence across the UK, which could bring more in the way of dry, settled weather as we head further into August,” forecasters predict. Temperatures will likely continue to be near or above average overall, with a continuing chance of some very warm or hot spells, especially in the south and east.”
Met Éireann has also issued yellow weather warnings for the Republic of Ireland, with County Mayo facing alerts for heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms until 2pm today, bringing risks of localised flooding, poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions.
For now, authorities continue to urge vigilance as the severe weather system moves across the British Isles, with the potential for significant impacts on daily life and infrastructure throughout Monday.
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