BRITAIN faces its first hosepipe ban in SEVEN years after a scorching heatwave saw the hottest ever July day. Dried-out rivers in Hampshire mean Southern Water – which has 2.3m customers – will need to introduce the first hosepipe ban since 2012. It comes despite half a month’s worth of rain falling in just 24 […]
BRITAIN faces its first hosepipe ban in SEVEN years after a scorching heatwave saw the hottest ever July day.
Dried-out rivers in Hampshire mean Southern Water – which has 2.3m customers – will need to introduce the first hosepipe ban since 2012.
It comes despite half a month’s worth of rain falling in just 24 hours in parts of the North West – with cars left under several feet of water in parts of Manchester.
Last year a hosepipe ban affecting millions of Brits was called off after a rain deluge.
North West water supplier United Utilities had planned the ban for seven million households from August 5 2018.
But a sudden downpour at the end of the month staved off the ban at the eleventh hour.
Today Northern Rail also reported disruption to lines between Wigan Wallgate and Atherton because of flooding.
Images show cars stranded under several feet of water under bridges in Manchester.
A white Lamborghini crashed into a barrier on the M66, after losing control on standing water.
Guests at Derbyshire’s Y Not festival were forced to push their cars through six inches of mud this morning. Woodchips have been spread out over the ground to make it safer.
Joanne Lendrum told DerbyshireLive: “By the end of last night the main arena was basically a swamp.
“When we got back to the tent it really started teeming it down.
“There was six inches of mud. There were cars stuck everywhere and people were pushing them.”
Forecasters said parts of the North West had seen 40mm to 50mm of rain in about 24 hours, with 52.2mm recorded between 11am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday at Greenfield near Oldham.
The Met Office issued a “severe” yellow warning for rain today covering vast swathes of the UK, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Belfast.
Meteorologist Helen Roberts said that the monthly average rainfall for the North West in July was 89.5mm.
She added: “This is a lot of rain to fall in the space of 24 hours, especially given the rain has been very consistent and there have been heavy bursts within it.”
Forecasters said there is a chance fast flowing or deep floodwater could pose a “danger to life”.
A complex weather front will extend diagonally across the UK, all the way from Argyll in western Scotland to Kent in south east England.
Beneath it, heavy thundery showers have the capacity to cause dreadful driving conditions and flooding in homes.
A Met Office spokesman said:“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.
“Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services.
“Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
“There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.”
