Britain will be battered by the remnants of a US storm this week after Saturday’s torrential downpours saw a month’s rainfall in just one day.
There are currently 15 flood warnings in place across much of the south west and the midlands – with some alerts stretching as far as north Yorkshire.
And the weather is unlikely to pick up much in the coming week as the country will be hit with the tail-end of the US’s nor’easter storm, sending temperatures plummeting and bringing wide-spread frost.
It follows a weekend of heavy rain, with Devon seeing 5.4 inches of rain yesterday alone – more than the 3.4in monthly average for England. Carmarthenshire, south Wales, was battered with 3.9 inches in just 24 hours.
Heavy rainfall caused a coal tip in Rhondda Valley to start spilling down the side of a hill yesterday afternoon, prompting local authorities to order nearby residents to keep away.
And in the early hour’s of Saturday morning, 18 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Cornwall amid mass flooding.
Meanwhile, a DPD delivery van driver stranded in flood water in Newbridge on Usk, in Wales, was rescued by emergency services who used a dinghy to cross the deep water.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna told The Mirror: ‘Remnants of the USA’s nor’easter storm is heading our way.
‘Then it trends colder in the run-up to the big day – and the chill may linger over the festive period.’
Britain saw a month’s rainfall in just one day on Saturday after the country was battered with torrential downpours forcing a mass-evacuation at a caravan park in Cornwall and a coal tip in Wales to slip down the hillside (pictured)
And in the early hour’s of Saturday morning, 18 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Cornwall amid mass flooding (pictured)
There are currently 15 flood warnings in place across much of the south west and the midlands – with some alerts stretching as far as north Yorkshire
Following the coal slip yesterday, a Rhondda council spokesperson confirmed that there is no risk to houses in the area – but further movements could be imminent if the rain continues.
A statement read: ‘Following site investigations carried out after the landslip that occurred this morning at the Wattstown tip, the Council is urging residents to stay away from the site.
‘Whilst the landslip does not pose any risk to properties, there remains the possibility for further movement at the site and it is imperative that members of the public continue to stay away.
‘The Council has been in discussions with both the UK and Welsh Governments for a number of months regarding this site, having identified the privately-owned tip at Wattstown as a priority following the review conducted in the aftermath of Storm Dennis, and the site had been placed under an increased monitoring regime in recognition of this.
Meanwhile, a DPD delivery van driver stranded in flood water in Newbridge on Usk, in Wales, was rescued by emergency services who used a dinghy to cross the deep water on Saturday
Heavy rainfall caused a coal tip in Rhondda Valley to start spilling down the hillside yesterday afternoon (pictured) – prompting local authorities to order nearby residents to keep away
Following the coal slip (pictured) yesterday, a Rhondda council spokesperson confirmed that there is no risk to houses in the area – but further movements could be imminent if the rain continues
Yesterday’s caravan park flood in Cornwall (pictured) saw a total of 18 people evacuated and subsequently rehomed – with 50 caravans searched to check on the welfare of their occupants
Devon and Cornwall Police as well as Dartmoor and Cornwall Search and Rescue were also in attendance yesterday (pictured). The fire service called in ‘water rescue units’ from Devon after 35mm of rain fell in just 24 hours
‘The Council has been in urgent discussions with the Welsh Government following the event and options are now being considered for securing the site.’
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan told Sky News that yesterday’s rainfall figures went above what was ‘well over what we would expect’ in Whitebarrow, Devon, and Carmarthenshire, south Wales.
A total of 15 flood warnings are currently in place, urging Britons to take ‘immediate action’ to keep safe.
These cover areas including Notter Bridge in Cornwall, where a caravan site was evacuated yesterday.
Parts of Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire also have warnings, as does York and sections of the Lake District.
And the rain is unlikely to ease up into Christmas week itself with the west of the country bearing the brunt of the heavy showers – with hail and thunder predicted at times today.
The southwest will then see more persistent rain later on Sunday before spreading across much of England and Wales overnight, the Met Office confirmed.
Central and southern England will see heavy rain in intervals on Monday, with the afternoon bringing brighter spells.
People rushed to Twitter to share their pictures of the coal tip landslide in Wales which came after heavy rain this weekend
The river Usk broke its banks at Crickhowell, in Powys, Wales, as flooding continues to hit parts of the UK on Saturday
The river Usk broke its banks at Crickhowell, in Powys, Wales, on Saturday. This weekend brought torrential downpours to much of the UK
The warning raised fears of further landslips after 600 tons of rock fell from a 100ft cliff on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast near Burton Bradstock (pictured) yesterday
Flooded fields in Carmarthenshire on Saturday after the River Towy bursts its banks following torrential rain in parts of Wales
Strong waves crash against the Dorset coast at West Bay on Saturday as the Met Office issued rain warnings in the south west
The rest of the week will see a drop in temperatures further north as the weather becomes ‘increasingly wintry’.
By Thursday, the UK will be hit with wide-spread frost as it gets even drier and colder.
Yesterday’s caravan park flood in Cornwall saw a total of 18 people evacuated and subsequently rehomed – with 50 caravans searched to check on the welfare of their occupants.
Devon and Cornwall Police as well as Dartmoor and Cornwall Search and Rescue were also in attendance. The fire service called in ‘water rescue units’ from Devon after 35mm of rain fell in just 24 hours.
‘At about 06:30 we were called to a property at the end of Lostwithiel which was flooding,’ said firefighter Steve Strauss.
‘Two people were taken out of there with two dogs, and we’ve now been pumping out ever since,’ he added.
Weather warnings raised raised fears of further landslips after 600 tons of rock fell from a 100ft cliff on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast near Burton Bradstock – 100 yards from songwriter Billy Bragg’s £2.4million home and 300ft from a cafe.
No one was injured.