Unsettled weather causes flooding across the UK by Dan Corbett
Unsettled weather has been hitting parts of the UK this week, leading to flooding and transport delays. Killowen in Northern Ireland received the highest rainfall total, with 52.4mm (2.06 inches) of rain falling during the 24 hours from Monday night into Tuesday night. A cleanup operation is still underway in Fife, where a number of houses were flooded, with more than three feet (36 inches) of water inundating some homes.
The floods also affected many transport routes, causing delays on trains across Scotland, the Southwest and Wales, with the strong winds uprooting a number of trees. Earlier in the week the Environmental Agency issued warnings for numerous rivers across the UK, including two in the Thames region.
The rain was caused by an area of low pressure which developed over the Atlantic, and moved over the UK, bringing unseasonable rain and strong winds. The intensity of the rainfall was not exceptionally heavy, but due to the orientation of the rain places such as the north east of Scotland received rain for long periods of time.
Friday is set to be a drier and more settled day for England and Wales, but more rain is expected over the weekend, especially in the west, which could spell further flooding for those vulnerable areas.
