Strong winds and heavy rain hit Leicestershire

Drivers in Leicestershire are being urged to take care as heavy rain is expected to continue to move across the Midlands today. Strong, gusting winds are also making conditions difficult.

Areas of rain will move across the region today, and will become heavy at times, which could lead to a risk of localised flooding. Tonight it will remain windy, and will remain largely cloudy with further rain.

The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the River Sence in Leicestershire and its tributaries from Billesdon to the River Soar at Glen Parva. Flooding is possible on low-lying land by this afternoon.

This morning there were 20 flood warnings - where flooding is expected - for rivers in place in the South West, North East and Midlands regions, and the Environment Agency is also warning of surface water flooding. There were almost 100 less serious flood alerts in place.

june summer room sale

Moira's Reflections

View details

Print voucher

in our summer room we have loads of
sale items alot with at least 75% off
£10 rail too.
shoes and hats reduced too.
tops trousers and skirts from 20% to 50%off

Contact: 0116 3667004

Valid until: Saturday, June 29 2013

Alison Baptiste, flood risk manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We are already seeing travel disruption due to the wet weather and could well see flooding across the country this week.

“We strongly urge people to sign up to flood warnings, keep a close eye on local weather forecasts and be prepared for the possibility of flooding.

“We also ask that people stay safe by staying away from swollen rivers and not attempting to drive through floodwater.”

Motorists were urged to heed safety warnings as flood water hit roads near flood plains and in valleys.

A woman was killed by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens during rain and gusts of wind close to 30mph yesterday.

The woman, believed to be around 30 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday afternoon.

Wind speeds in the area around the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, south-west London, reached a peak of 30mph at 4pm yesterday.

The Met office has warned that both heavy rain with up to 50-80mm in some parts of the UK and very strong winds with gusts up to 60mph, which have the potential to cause localised disruption in the East Midlands.

Tom Tobler, forecaster with MeteoGroup, said north-east Scotland could be hit with the strongest winds, with gales of up to 70mph possible.

He said northern areas of England and parts of southern Scotland could see 60mm of rain fall in the next 24 hours – three quarters of a whole month’s average rainfall (80mm) for September in England and Wales.

The forecaster said: “It’s almost a month’s rainfall in certain areas. It is certainly a lot of rain.

“There will be some flooding. I imagine the figure for total rainfall in the month will get up to the average tomorrow, if not above the average figure.”

It is a stark change from earlier in the month, when parts of Britain basked in warm temperatures in the mid-20s, a welcome break from the rain and wind which dogged much of July and August.

See the five-day forecast for Leicester and Leicestershire.