‘Month’s worth of rain’ causes travel chaos and danger to life

Heavy rain has continued to bring travel disruption across the country on Thursday amid a Met Office weather alert.

The River Caldew has burst its banks and flooded the West Coast Main Line in Carlisle, meaning services between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh Waverley and Carlisle cannot run.

Most speed restrictions imposed on rail services have been lifted but 40mph limits remain on sections of the West Coast Mainline and Dumfries line until 7pm.

Rail provider Avanti West Coast warned commuters at about 6.30am that services between Preston and Glasgow/Edinburgh are subject to cancellation due to heavy flooding on the railway between Carlisle and Lockerbie.

The Met Office warned there is a risk of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life.

The warning came into force from 12pm on Wednesday and continues until 6pm on Thursday, covering the majority of Scotland.

STV meteorologist Sean Batty has said Scotland should brace for a month’s worth of rain within 24 hours.

“What can’t be ignored is that some of our computer models have been indicating totals as high as 150mm – which can be taken as a worst case scenario,” he said.

“With average rainfall totals for May around 50-70mm for the east of Scotland it’s very likely that many will see a month’s worth of rain, and in some spots possibly a lot more than that in 24 hours.

“This is likely to lead to some flooding issues on Wednesday night and into Thursday, especially after the recent drier conditions which will have hardened the ground a little in some areas, which leads to increased run-off.”

On Wednesday, North Yorkshire Police said a person died following a mudslide in Carlton-in-Cleveland at around 1.15pm.

In a statement, police said: “We can confirm that one person has sadly died as a result of the incident.

“Our thoughts are with their family and friends during this difficult time.”

The Met Office said the area had seen almost a month’s worth of rain in the past day, with 41.6mm of rain recorded over the last 24 hours in Loftus, a town 20 miles away.

Across Scotland, the Met Office warned of a chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses.

There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings, and where flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services.

Spray and flooding could also lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures with the risk that some communities will become cut off by flooded routes.

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