2025 United Kingdom floods

Last updated

In 2025, the United Kingdom experienced flooding. In early January, severe rainfall caused widespread floods across North West England and the East Midlands.

Contents

January

North West (1 January)

Around 90 mm (3.5 in) of rainfall in 24 hours brought floods to parts of England and Wales on New Year's Day, prompting the Met Office to issue severe weather warnings; this led to 137 flood warnings being issued by the Environment Agency (EA) across England, Scotland and Wales, with extensive flooding affecting parts of North West England, especially Greater Manchester. [1] A major incident was declared by Greater Manchester Police in response to flooding across Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan, as well as parts of Cheshire and Lancashire. [2]

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service reported that they had attended over 100 incidents and evacuated almost 1,000 people as a result of the floods: 400 from flats at Meadow Mill in Stockport after they lost electricity and water supplies; 445 from a hotel in Didsbury after power and water supplies were cut off; around 50 other properties in Didsbury; and some evacuations in Platt Bridge. [3] City centre canals overflowed and the River Tame and River Mersey reached record highs in places; the latter meant sluice gates had to be opened at Fletcher Moss Park where a car was submerged. Around 100 people attending a New Year's Eve event were stranded in Harpurhey. Floods also occurred in Cheadle, where a tributary of the Mersey flooded roads and homes, and Broadbottom, where a wall collapsed onto cars and homes were flooded. [4] Three people were rescued from a car submerged in floodwater in Warrington. [2]

Flooding also occurred in Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside and Yorkshire. Part of the Bridgewater Canal's embankment collapsed near Little Bollington, causing water to pour out and inundate surrounding fields; Cheshire Police had to evacuate properties, a sewage treatment works was flooded and part of the M56 motorway was closed between Manchester Airport and Bowdon. [5] The Sankey Canal in St Helens burst its banks, submerging cars and houses in Haydock in several feet of water. [4] Flooding also occurred in Lymm, where three people were rescued from a car, Ormskirk, where homes were flooded, and Ribchester, where a brook burst its banks and flooded houses. The M57 motorway was closed between Kirkby to Aintree due to flooding. [2] The River Ure burst its banks near Wensley, North Yorkshire, flooding the A684 road and surrounding fields. [6]

Numerous train lines were blocked by floodwater leading to cancellations across the North West. Trains did not operate between Manchester and Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street, or from both Liverpool and Manchester to Huddersfield, Leeds and York. [2] The line between Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington Central was blocked, as was the line between Todmorden and Rochdale. [4]

South East (5-6 January)

On 5 January, flooding affected areas of South East England, namely Sussex, as the region was hit by heavy rain; flood warnings were issued for parts of the Adur, Bull, Cuckmere and Ouse rivers. Areas affected by floods included Barcombe, Hellingly, Isfield and Littlehampton. A number of rail services were affected, with floods hitting Frant railway station and the line between Arundel and Billingshurst. [7]

Flooding continued into the next day as a yellow rain warning covered the region, with further flood warnings issued by the EA. Fields near Barcombe Mills were inundated by floodwater from the River Ouse; there was disruption on the A29 road at Pulborough as floods affected gardens and properties in the town. [8]

East Midlands (6 January)

Heavy rainfall on 6 January led to floods across the East Midlands, with the EA issuing almost 200 flood warnings. [9] A major incident was declared in response to the floods in Leicestershire and Rutland; [10] this was followed by the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF), who coordinate emergency services in the county, also declaring a major incident in Lincolnshire. [11]

North Yorkshire Police found the body of a man in floodwaters in Beal, North Yorkshire, and said they believe he entered the water within the previous two days. [12] Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received over 200 calls and 59 people had been rescued from flooded areas; Leicestershire Police said it had also received a high number of calls and reported that the worst hit areas were Melton Mowbray, Rutland and South Leicestershire. A rare severe flood warning, which indicates a danger to life, was issued for part of the River Soar in Barrow-upon-Soar: the EA said rising water levels at the Pilings Lock put properties at a nearby caravan park and marina at risk. [10] In Lincolnshire, 50 schoolchildren were rescued from Edenham Primary School after all surrounding roads were flooded. The LRF said that a further 16 people had been rescued from flooded properties in Billingborough whilst 97 properties in the county suffered internal flooding. Lincolnshire Police said the south of the county was most impacted, whilst the LRF reported 16 major roads in the county were closed, including part of the A1 and A15. [11] Elsewhere in the country, part of the M5 motorway was closed following flooding near Gloucester and rail lines were blocked. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didsbury</span> Suburban village of Manchester

Didsbury is a suburb of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, 5 miles south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Adamson</span> English engineer (1820–1890)

Daniel Adamson was an English engineer who became a successful manufacturer of boilers and was the driving force behind the inception of the Manchester Ship Canal project during the 1880s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 United Kingdom floods</span> Fatal series of natural disasters

A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire on 25 June; and Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and South Wales on 28 July 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods</span> Natural disaster in the UK and Ireland

The 2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods were a weather event that affected parts of Great Britain and Ireland throughout November and into December 2009. November was the wettest month across the United Kingdom since records began in 1914 and had well above average temperatures. The worst affected area in Great Britain was the English county of Cumbria. The Irish counties of Clare, Cork, Galway and Westmeath were among the worst affected areas of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined authorities and combined county authorities</span> Type of local government institution in England

A combined authority (CA) is a type of local government institution introduced in England outside Greater London by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. CAs are created voluntarily and allow a group of local authorities to pool appropriate responsibility and receive certain devolved functions from central government in order to deliver transport and economic policy more effectively over a wider area. In areas where local government is two-tier, both must participate in the combined authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Great Britain and Ireland floods</span> Series of natural disasters in 2012

The 2012 Great Britain and Ireland floods were a series of weather events that affected parts of Great Britain and Ireland periodically during the course of 2012 and on through the winter into 2013. The beginning of 2012 saw much of the United Kingdom experiencing droughts and a heat wave in March. A series of low pressure systems steered by the jet stream brought the wettest April in 100 years, and flooding across Britain and Ireland. Continuing through May and leading to the wettest beginning to June in 150 years, with flooding and extreme events occurring periodically throughout Britain and parts of Atlantic Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Xaver</span> Winter storm that affected northern Europe in 2013

Cyclone Xaver, also known as the North Sea flood or tidal surge of 2013, was a winter storm that affected northern Europe. Force 12 winds and heavy snowfall were predicted along the storm's path, and there were warnings of a significant risk of storm surge leading to coastal flooding along the coasts of the North and Irish Seas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013–14 United Kingdom winter floods</span> Series of 2013–2014 winter storms in the UK

The 2013–2014 United Kingdom winter floods saw areas of the United Kingdom inundated following severe storms. The south of England saw heavy rainfalls associated with these storms which caused widespread flooding, power cuts and major disruptions to transport. Economically, the worst affected areas were Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall in the south west and the Thames Valley in the south east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storm Desmond</span> Extratropical cyclone in December 2015

Storm Desmond was an extratropical cyclone and fourth named storm of the 2015–16 UK and Ireland windstorm season, notable for directing a plume of moist air, known as an atmospheric river, which brought record amounts of orographic rainfall to upland areas of northern Atlantic Europe and subsequent major floods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 Great Britain and Ireland floods</span>

The 2015–2016 Great Britain and Ireland floods were a series of heavy rainfall events which led to flooding during the winter of late 2015 and early 2016. 11 named storms produced record level rainfall from November 2015 - March 2016 in both monthly and seasonal accumulation records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United Kingdom floods</span>

In June 2016, parts of the United Kingdom were struck by serious flash floods. Starting on 7 June, thunderstorms caused intense rainfall in many locations across the country, particularly in the north of England and in London, causing repeated flash floods in several locations on a daily basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 United Kingdom floods</span> Severe flooding events in the United Kingdom over the winter of 2019–2020

Between November 2019 and February 2020, severe winter flooding occurred across the United Kingdom. The first wave of flooding occurred in November 2019, mainly affecting Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. Further isolated flooding incidents were reported in December and January, before the second main wave of flooding, caused by Storms Ciara and Dennis, occurred in February 2020. The excessive rainfall resulted in the wettest February since records began, in 1766, in England and Wales with an average of 169.6 millimetres (6.68 in) falling across the regions, beating the record from 1833.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Yorkshire Dales floods</span> July 2019 floods in the Yorkshire Dales, England

In July 2019, parts of the Yorkshire Dales, in North Yorkshire, England, were subjected to above average rainfall for the time of year. The flash-flooding that followed affected many communities destroying bridges, sweeping roads away, causing landslips on railway lines and resulting in at least one public event being cancelled. The flooding even inundated the fire station in the town of Leyburn, in Wensleydale, whilst the crew were out helping those in need. The recovery took many weeks and months, with immediate help by the rescue services being bolstered by British Army personnel who assisted with the clean up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Uttarakhand flood</span> Fatal flooding in India

The 2021 Uttarakhand flood, also known as the Chamoli disaster, began on 7 February 2021 in the environs of the Nanda Devi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the outer Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand state, India. It was caused by a large rock and ice avalanche consisting of material dislodged from Ronti peak. It caused flooding in the Chamoli district, most notably in the Rishiganga river, the Dhauliganga river, and in turn the Alaknanda—the major headstream of the Ganges. The disaster left over 200 killed or missing. Most were workers at the Tapovan dam site.

The town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England has historically been affected by flooding of the River Severn. The Frankwell area, has been particularly affected, but flood defence measures have largely been effective in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United Kingdom floods</span> Natural disaster in the United Kingdom

Throughout 2022, between February and November, areas of the United Kingdom experienced significant flooding. The first wave of flooding occurred in February as Storm Franklin caused severe disruption across the country.

The 2022 south eastern Australia floods are a series of floods that have occurred in south-eastern Australia since October 2022. Some towns experienced the highest river peaks in decades, and many places saw rivers peak multiple times. The floods were attributed to excess torrential rain caused by La Niña and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole.

In 2023, the United Kingdom experienced flooding.

In 2024, the United Kingdom experienced flooding. In early January, Storm Henk resulted in severe weather warnings and floods across the English Midlands. In April, flooding was widespread across England particularly on the south coast and the North East in the aftermath of Storm Kathleen and Storm Pierrick. In late November, there was widespread flooding as a result of Storm Bert.

Events from the year 2025 in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ Howard, Jacqueline; Fawkes, Chris (31 December 2024). "Homes flooded in Greater Manchester as storms hit New Year's Day". BBC News . Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Humphries, Jonny; Mullen, Tom; Trewern, Mat (1 January 2025). "Hundreds forced to leave homes as floods batter region". BBC News . Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Flooding response moves from rescue to recovery as major incident stood down". Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service . 2 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Major incident stood down after widespread flooding sees 1,000 evacuated and a canal to collapse". ITV News . 1 January 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  5. ↑ Laville, Sandra (2 January 2025). "Embankment of 18th-century canal in Cheshire collapses after flooding". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Motorist left stranded in floodwater in Wensleydale after River Ure bursts its banks". ITV News . 1 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Docherty-Warren, Katy; Maisner, Stuart (5 January 2025). "Sussex: Heavy rain and floods cause disruption across the county". BBC News . Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Boyle, Cash (6 January 2025). "Flood warnings remain in place across West and East Sussex". BBC News . Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  9. 1 2 Lamche, Anna (6 January 2025). "Major incidents declared as UK grapples with floods, snow and ice". BBC News . Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 Hammond, Laura; Bevis, Gavin (6 January 2025). "Major incident declared as 59 people rescued from floods". BBC News . Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 Maslin, Eleanor; Edwards, Sharon (6 January 2025). "Fifty children rescued as major incident declared". BBC News . Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "North Yorkshire: Man's body recovered from area of flooding in Beal". Sky News . 6 January 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.