UK weather: Britain is set to endure two MORE weeks of rain

Parts of Britain could see a further fortnight of rain as the country surveys the damage caused by strong winds. 

The Met Office expects this week to remain ‘unsettled and changeable’, with more rain on the way by the weekend and into next week as the jet stream stays close to the country.

Some areas of northern England had a month’s worth of rain over the weekend, raising expectations that the country could see its wettest August on record as winds gusted at more than 60mph. 

Cumbria’s Spadeadam saw 122mm (4.8in) fall over the weekend – just above the August average for the area of 116mm (4.6in). Further north, Auchincruive in South Ayrshire saw 63mm (2.5in) just yesterday.

The previous UK high of rainfall in August was recorded in 1912 which saw an average of 167.6mm (6.6in) across the country. Another two weeks of downpours could now see the record breached.

Cars try to get round a tree yesterday after it was brought down in West London by strong winds

Spectators look on at the 18th green during a wet Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick yesterday

Clouds over the Canary Wharf financial district in London yesterday, with the Greenwich Maritime Museum in the foreground

A tree also fell onto the roof of a Shell petrol station yesterday in Mottingham, South East London 

Over the weekend in the South of England, areas were hit by heavy winds, causing disruption across the transport network caused by flooding and hazards blown on to roads and train tracks – usually fallen trees.

Ferry passengers heading to Dover were delayed outside port for up to five hours while tug boats tried to guide them to the dock. The fastest winds were recorded at Mumbles Head in South Wales with 64mph on Saturday.

Yesterday dawned brighter and quieter for most of the UK after wind speeds dropped, with a scattering of showers forecast. Although many of the storms may have passed, the heat seen in July is now a distant memory.

Met Office meteorologist Helen Roberts said: ‘It does look like remaining unsettled and changeable right through most of the next seven days.’ 

The Environment Agency has 27 flood alerts across England as well as two more serious warnings for Keswick and Cumbria in Carlisle, telling residents that ‘immediate action’ is required. 

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) had ten flood alerts in place as homes were swamped and roads closed. East Ayrshire Council handed out 7,000 sandbags to worried residents across the region.  

 

In Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, an Asda store was closed last night after the River Irvine burst its banks and the town’s Odeon cinema was evacuated. East Ayrshire Council set up a reception centre for residents affected by flooding.

The A77 was closed in both directions at Turnberry. In the Borders, traffic was halted on the A68 at Carter Bar. On Glasgow’s south side, Sepa issued a warning for the White Cart Water where it flows through Pollok Country Park.

Earlier, one west-bound lane of the M8 motorway in the city was closed by floodwater, resulting in congestion. Some trains between Glasgow Central and Rutherglen were cancelled or delayed after flooding on the line. 

Elsewhere, the A92 – one of the main routes between Dundee and Angus – was partially shut after rain left a section of the road impassable. Downpours also brought misery to revellers who were attending outdoor events. 

At the Party at the Palace in Linlithgow, West Lothian, police handed out ponchos to festival goers. On Saturday, hundreds of travellers found themselves trapped when flooding shut the west coast rail line for several hours. 

Police posted pictures online of firefighters pumping water out of gardens in Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, and diggers clearing a landslide, which closed the A7 south of Langholm, Dumfriesshire, on Saturday night.