UK disrupted by torrential rains - Car Rental News
UK disrupted by torrential rains
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Car Rental News - 16/11/2009
Stormy weather to continue, weather forecasts say
The British Isles found themselves battered by torrential rains and high speed winds over the last weekend, lashed by what has been reported to be the worst storm of the year.
Winds as high as 80kmph and going up to 100kmph were recorded on the Isle of Wight. A tornado was reported at Benfleet in Essex, and has been said to have destroyed a number of houses in the area.
Flooding from nearby river in Pembrokeshire caused a fire, and rescue officers rushed on site to rescue 14 people from their vehicles. Cross channel ferries from Poole, Plymouth and Dover suffered from cancellations and delays. In Hayward Heaths in West Sussex, stranded workers from an industrial estate were rescued with the help of boats. Similarly, a lifeboat crew rescued oil rig workers stranded at Ness point.
According to reports, the boat carrying the workers had drifted onto an old jetty at Ness point.
In Dorset and Somerset, many the roofs of a number of private residences reportedly blew off.
Even the mayor’s parade in London was affected, and the fireworks’ display was cancelled due to high winds.
Environment Agency(EA) is constantly monitoring the condition of rivers and sea levels. Also, flood defenses were checked and trash screens were cleared. The agency hasadvised people to remain vigilant, as rivers were flowing to their capacity and the ground was waterlogged. Quite a few flood warnings, 24 in all, were posted across Wales and England.
Weather reports however currently forecast continuation of the stormy weather. Ireland is expected to sufferheavy rain with Northern Ireland being the worst hit. South of Scotland, England and Wales also are also likely to havetorrential bursts of rain. However, instances of strong wind may be reduced substantially and it has even been suggested that some locations in the UK may see short bouts of sunshine.
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