LONDON (AP) — Severe flooding and disruptive weather conditions marred New Year’s celebrations across the United Kingdom on Wednesday, with heavy rains and powerful winds wreaking havoc in various regions.
In the Manchester area, several communities were engulfed by floods, leaving cars submerged up to their roofs on roads and in parking lots. Nearly a month’s worth of rain poured down in just two days, prompting a major incident declaration from Greater Manchester Police. Mountain rescue teams were mobilized to assist firefighters in responding to properties underwater and rescuing stranded vehicles.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan warned that further flooding was likely throughout the day, with the situation expected to worsen before any improvement is seen. The deluge and gusty winds forced the cancellation of New Year’s Eve fireworks displays in Edinburgh and other cities, while plans for New Year’s Day events such as outdoor swims and a bathtub boat race had to be shelved.
London managed to go ahead with its renowned fireworks exhibition on the River Thames near Big Ben, but had to delay the start of its New Year’s Day parade and ground inflatable floats due to the adverse weather conditions. Flood warnings were issued in over 150 communities across the U.K., predominantly in northern England, indicating that flooding was anticipated.
Transportation services were severely affected, with numerous train cancellations due to high water levels around the tracks. Some highways were also closed off to traffic. The storm system brought snowfall to parts of the Scottish Highlands, prompting a three-day snow warning for most of England and Scotland over the weekend.
