Britain is facing further disruption this weekend as floods and torrential thunderstorms threaten to bring chaos following yesterday’s blackouts.
A yellow warning has been issued for the north of the UK with forecasts of ‘slow moving, heavy, thundery downpours’ expected across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England – which could lead to flooding.
The warning comes after ‘unprecedented rainfall’ led to flooding at Luton Airport yesterday, causing angry passengers to face delays and online footage showing a torrent of water flowing through the terminal.
Forecaster Craig Snell said wind gusts of up to 50mph have been recorded this morning along the coast, and those areas can expect winds of up to 60mph today.
The Met Office put in place a yellow warning for strong winds across Wales and most of England, which will remain until midnight tonight.
Highways England revealed this morning that the M48 Severn Crossing in Chepstow was currently closed westbound from J1 to J2 due to ‘strong winds’, with the eastbound carriageway also closed to high sided vehicles and motorbikes.
Yesterday saw one of the worst power cuts to hit Britain in years, causing transport chaos across the country and hitting the energy supplies of almost a million people.
Traffic lights faltered, trains were cancelled and stations were evacuated after a technical fault at two power generators run by National Grid triggered a ‘major incident’.
Mr Snell said that ‘no matter where you are in the UK’ today, ‘you’re at risk of seeing some kind of localised disruption from wind’.
‘It’s a case of staying in touch with weather forecasts and being prepared for extra travel time as there may be road closures due to localised flooding.’
The country is set to see temperatures in the ‘low twenties’ over Saturday and Sunday – which is expected to be less windy across Britain, but Mr Snell warned the weather would still be ‘unsettled’ throughout the day.
Yesterday ‘unprecedented rainfall’ led to flooding at Luton Airport, causing angry passengers to face delays.
Shocking footage posted on social media shows a torrent of water flowing through the terminal, with holidaymakers saying the airport was in ‘meltdown’.
Rain was seen leaking through the ceiling and adding to large puddles as passengers looked on in surprise.
Some travellers even had to evacuate their planes due to the extreme weather.
It came as the UK faced its first major storm in four months amid warnings 60mph winds are set to cause hazardous conditions for drivers this weekend while floods and power cuts could cause further disruption.
Love Island’s Zara McDermott and her Made In Chelsea boyfriend Sam Thompson were caught up in the chaos at Luton Airport.
The reality TV stars posted on social media footage of the water pouring through a restaurant’s roof in the terminal this evening.
Ms McDermott posted with the clip: ‘The roof is coming down in Luton Airport wtf. Sat in Bella Italia.
‘I cannot believe this is happening, was just trying to enjoy my pizza.’
Ms McDermott can be heard in the footage shouting: ‘I’m getting wet Sam.’
She added: ‘Oh my God, this is insane.’
Shocking footage posted on social media shows a torrent of water flowing through the terminal (left and right), with holidaymakers saying the airport is in ‘meltdown’
Passenger Claudia Harris posted footage of the scene on social media (pictured). In the clip, she can be heard saying: ‘That’s all water coming through, it’s flooding right now’
Love Island’s Zara McDermott (left) and her Made In Chelsea boyfriend Sam Thompson (right) were caught up in the chaos at Luton Airport
Ms McDermott posted with the clip: ‘The roof is coming down in Luton Airport wtf. Sat in Bella Italia. I cannot believe this is happening, was just trying to enjoy my pizza’
Fellow traveller Claudia Harris posted footage from the terminal and said the airport had gone into ‘meltdown’.
In the clip, she can be heard saying: ‘That’s all water coming through, it’s flooding right now.’
Evan Hood said he had been cleared off a plane which was just about to take off.
He added: ‘We were sitting on an #easyjet at #lutonairport when that rain hit…and then our plane started smoking.’
Koldo Almandoz, said: ‘Absolutely unacceptable the level of disruption caused by 15 minutes worth of rainfall, I’m losing my flight because I lost +45 mins due to traffic, security queues etc.’
Another wrote: ‘What an absolute joke of an airport.’
And Melissa Restrepo added: ‘Stuck in the plane at Luton Airport because apparently the terminal was flooded by a quick rain. Fun.’
The airport said in a statement the ‘unprecedented rainfall’ had caused ‘water damage in a number of locations in the terminal’ and apologised for the disruption.
Its Twitter account later added: ‘We are working as quickly as we can to get services back to normal and will keep passengers updated. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.’
Some travellers even had to evacuate their planes due to the extreme weather this afternoon. It led to a build up of crowds in the small airport (pictured)
Those heading off for a weekend break this evening could have their plans thrown into chaos as rain battered much of the UK today, making for difficult driving conditions.
Commuters and travellers have been urged not to travel over what could be the wettest August on record.
The threat of slow-moving, heavy thundery showers – which could cause torrential downpours – have also prompted a yellow thunderstorm warning in place from midnight on Friday to 6am on Saturday, and there have been warnings of possible damage to buildings from floodwater or lightning strikes, and the threat of power cuts was realised as homes, airports, traffic lights and trains were hit due to a ‘failure of the National Grid’.
Commuters and travellers have been urged not to travel over what could be the wettest August on record. Pictured: A learner driver battles the tough conditions today
Strong winds and huge waves battered the seafront at Penzance this afternoon as poor weather continued to sweep the UK
Fans arriving early were caught in the rain before the Premier League match between Liverpool and Norwich at Anfield, Merseyside
A Mother shelters under a tree with her child from the torrential rain in monsoon-like weather conditions in north-west London
Three women cover themselves with umbrellas and coats in a bid to shelter from the torrential rain in north-west London this afternoon
One child can be seen holding another back today near Dawlish Train Station as waves crashed near to the track
People in Edinburgh today wrapped up in their waterproof and were armed with umbrellas as they battled the streets
Time for a G&T? These women braved the great British outdoors, put their ponchos on and enjoyed a drink on the beach in Newquay
The graphic above shows the amount of wind which will be taking over the UK this weekend, with the north of being particularly hit
After the showers cleared, a rainbow formed over the Thames tonight as storms knock out power in various parts of the country
Thousands of people have been left disappointed after severe weather cancelled and disrupted weekend events across England.
High-profile music festivals and smaller events, including a kite festival, have been called off after the Met Office issued weather warning across the country.
Boardmasters, a surfing and music festival, was first to be cancelled, on Wednesday, when organisers blamed ‘severe weather conditions’.
Some disappointed punters, who were promised a refund, only learned it was scrapped after they arrived at the site, in Newquay, Cornwall, where Wu-Tang Clan were set to headline.
Fans waiting for the Boardmasters surf festival sit outside on their mobiles despite phone networks going down in the power cut
A chef in Cornwall stands in the dark as machines and lights were switched off during a mass electricity outage this evening. It has impacted the Fistral Beach Boardmasters surf competition
Some disappointed punters, who were promised a refund, only learned it was scrapped after they arrived at the site (pictured today), in Newquay, Cornwall, where Wu-Tang Clan were set to headline
A second music festival, Houghton, in Norfolk, was called off the following day after the weather ‘dramatically worsened’ the already soggy site.
In Bristol, organisers of its International Balloon Fiesta scaled back the event, cancelling Friday’s much-anticipated mass ascent.
Several weekend LGBT+ pride events, including in Chester, Milton Keynes and Plymouth, were postponed over safety concerns.
Organisers for all three said they were working to rearrange the events.
The first day of Blackpool Air Show, on Saturday, was cancelled when afternoon winds of 45mph were forecast.
‘The safety of the pilots and the watching public is paramount,’ a spokesman said, adding the Sunday event was still scheduled to go ahead.
The nearby St Anne’s International Kite Festival was also cancelled.
The London Wildlife Festival, scheduled on Saturday and Sunday at Walthamstow Wetlands, was cancelled after winds of 40mph were forecast.
Indoor Friday night activities would still go ahead as planned.
Organisers said they were unable to ‘proceed safely’ but promised refunds on tickets.
The Met Office said the band of heavy rain that had pushed across the country would be followed by heavy showers or thunderstorms.
Sick of the rain! This man didn’t look too pleased as he rode through Renfrewshire as conditions got worse across the country
Kite surfers enjoy the strong winds off of Branksome Chine, near Poole in Dorset earlier today as many opted to stay in
The surfers in Dorset didn’t let the weather hold them back this afternoon as one woman as seen braving the waters with a yellow board
A driver in Bolton was pictured smashing through a puddle this morning as most of the area was plighted by difficult driving conditions
Amid the heavy rain and the threat of flooding, the Environment Agency advised people to ‘stay away from swollen rivers’ and not to drive through flood water as ‘just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car’.
Experts studying emerging cracks in cliffs near Watergate Bay near Newquay, Cornwall, found a boulder and debris had crashed down on to a beach there and the area was cordoned off by coastguards who warned the public to stay away as the area has been notorious for landslips.
Several festivals and events have been cancelled following news of the severe weather but many people still took to the great British outdoors today, with some even enjoying a G&T on the beach.
One woman in Blackpool was more than prepared for the wet weather this morning as she sported a leopard print umbrella while walking along Blackpool Prom
Gales of up to 60mph are set to batter Britain between today and Saturday leading to warnings being issued to caravan users and lorry drivers
Vehicles were trying to navigate the roads today which became even more difficult as the rain continued to come down
A weather warning is in place for Saturday, covering the whole of Wales and southern and central England as far north as Blackpool, Huddersfield and Grimsby.
The warnings come as the Derbyshire village of Whaley Bridge was once again warned of poor weather conditions yesterday after 1,500 residents were recently allowed home after the damaged Toddbrook Reservoir was deemed safe.
The first storm since Storm Hannah is set to plague the UK with bookmakers Coral announcing 4-5 odds on it being the wettest August since records began.
Cars in the Bargeddie area splashed through large puddles today as much as the UK woke up to rain this morning, which is set to continue throughout the day
People braved the waters in Bournemouth today as many were told not to travel as weather conditions worsened
Wet wet wet! Today the Met said heavy showers would be followed by strengthening winds across the country
A spokesperson for the Met Office said there is some fairly heavy rain and thunderstorms from Bristol, up through Wales and into Northern Ireland.
‘That will transfer eastwards over the next few hours, causing poor driving conditions in places.
‘This low-pressure system will bring challenging conditions, including unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain, from the west during Friday and Saturday.
‘Summer storms – compared with those in autumn and winter – always have the potential to create additional impacts because more people are likely to be outdoors, especially by the coast.
‘Additionally with trees in full leaf they are more vulnerable to being brought down by strong winds.’
The Met Office had previously described the conditions as ‘more like autumn than August’ and forecast winds of up to 60mph in some places.