UK weather - Storm Christoph: Five 'danger to life' weather warnings in place in North West and Wales

Authorities have issued warnings to drivers after multiple cars became stranded in floodwater.

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Boris Johnson visits Didsbury in Greater Manchester and says it is too early to tell whether the COVID-19 lockdown is working.
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Three severe "danger to life" flood warnings are in place in the North West and two in Wales after homes were evacuated overnight due to Storm Christoph.

About 2,000 properties in Greater Manchester had to be vacated as flooding and heavy snow hit the region.

The Environment Agency's warnings in the North West are at the English River Dee at Farndon, the River Bollin and Agden Brook at Little Bollington, and the River Bollin at Heatley.

The two issued by Natural Resources Wales are at Bangor on Dee, where the entire village has been ordered to leave their homes and in Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows.

Entire village being evacuated amid severe flood warnings - follow live updates

Police were encouraging people in East Didsbury to heed the advice to leave their homes
Image: Greater Manchester Police were encouraging people to heed the advice to leave their homes
Didsbury flooding
Image: River levels in Didsbury are very high. Pic: @chrisaky/Twitter

Police declared a major incident in Bangor on Dee and told people to go to a local school and wait for emergency 4x4 vehicles rather than trying to leave on their own.

The key areas that remain affected by flooding risks are:

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  • Didsbury
  • Northenden
  • Wales
  • York
A flooded road and fields are seen after storm Christoph arrived in Bangor-on-Dee, Britain, January 21, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Image: A flooded road and fields in Bangor-on-Dee

More than 170 "immediate action required" flood warnings are in force - mostly across the Midlands and North, as well as 195 amber alerts.

Wales has 31 flood warnings and 35 alerts.

A major incident was earlier declared in Greater Manchester as people were evacuated from their homes, but this has since been stood down and people have been allowed to return to their properties.

Emergency workers were called out to protect supplies of the Oxford vaccine as a massive warehouse in Wrexham storing the supply was at risk of flooding.

Leader of Wrexham Council, Mark Pritchard, told Sky News there were "serious concerns" about the issue - which could have had an impact on vaccine supplies - but workers were successful in protecting the warehouse.

In Greater Manchester, police and firefighters were helping evacuate homes and a spokesman for Manchester City Council said about 2,000 homes would be evacuated in total.

Water is pumped out from a car park during a flood after the river Weaver burst banks in Northwich, Britain, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Date: 21/01/2021 12:39
Dimensions: 5260 x 3435
Size: 4.7MB
Edit Status: new
Category: I
Topic Codes: UK WEA DIS EUROP
Fixture Identifier: RC2CCL9GCBJT
Byline: MOLLY DARLINGTON
City: NORTHWICH
Country Name: United Kingdom
Country Code: GBR
OTR: GDN
Source: REUTERS
Caption Writer: MMA/SEC
Source News Feeds: Reuters Marketplace - RP
Image: Water is pumped out from a car park in Northwich
Residents of a care home are evacuated after the river Weaver burst banks in Northwich, Britain, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Image: Residents of a care home are evacuated after the river Weaver burst banks in Northwich

River levels in Farndon, Cheshire, are expected to peak this afternoon with a risk to homes near the River Dee.

A flood is seen after the river Weaver burst banks in Northwich, Britain, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Image: The river Weaver burst banks in Northwich

Nelson Vasconcelos, a father of two, said he was warned of a flooding risk at his Didsbury home but chose not to leave because he has no family nearby.

"We spent all night moving things to the second floor and trying to keep the kids safe," he said.

"We had bags packed in case we had to leave and the police told us to be ready at any moment."

Another resident, Steve Cook, told Sky News that he and his cat are staying with friends as his home was at risk of flooding.

Steve Cook is staying with friends as his home was at risk
Image: Steve Cook is staying with friends as his home was at risk

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Storm Christoph flooding seen from helicopter

"I haven't slept at all actually," he said.

"I don't think I'll be returning to my home for a few days as there's still the risk from the snowfall.

"I was thinking, god how much of my house is going to get destroyed. I had recently re-decorated. The whole day was just 24 hours of worry."

Twitter user @TonyCost posted in the early hours: "Our flats were low risk for the Mersey flooding when I checked earlier today - now they're evacuating the ground floor, sirens, speakers, the lot. Scary stuff. Stay safe Didsbury/Northenden bunch."

Snow has also been falling in the area, with others on social media calling the weather over the last few days "bonkers" and "absolutely bananas".

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Heavy snow in north west England

Sky's North of England correspondent Katerina Vittozzi said water levels on the River Mersey had peaked at around midnight, but there is now the danger that snowmelt could affect the river again.

The Environment Agency has said that the flood defence system at Didsbury was about 2cm away from being overwhelmed.

Trains are being cancelled between Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington and people are being urged not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

A fire engine attends floods in Loftus, North Yorkshire. Pic: @pauljonesking
Image: A fire engine attends floods in Loftus, North Yorkshire. Pic: @pauljonesking
Parrs Wood High School playing fields are flooded after the River Mersey rose high in Didsbury, Manchester, as Storm Christoph causes widespread flooding across the UK. Picture date: Thursday January 21, 2021.
Image: Parrs Wood High School playing fields are flooded after the River Mersey rose high in Didsbury

Flooding also blocked the East Coast Main Line between Darlington and York, with warnings more services between Leeds and York could be affected, according to train operator LNER.

Multiple road closures are in place across the worst-affected areas, including Derbyshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Teesside.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to multiple drivers who got stranded in floodwater on Thursday morning, while St Helens Borough council said it was aware of four cars stuck in 3ft of water, warning others "don't be like them".

In Shropshire, there have been flood warnings along the River Severn, where there is a risk to property and farmland.

North Wales has also had snow and some homes near the river in Ruthin, Denbighshire, have already flooded.

The fire brigade has been pumping water from the area and police tweeted that they were helping with evacuations.

Flooding has hit many parts of the North, such as here in York
Image: Flooding has hit many parts of the North in recent days, such as here in York
Machynlleth, Wales. Car stuck in floodwater. Pic: Twitter/ @marcwales15
Image: A car became stuck in floodwater in Machynlleth in Powys. Pic: Twitter/ @marcwales15

"Regrettably, people who do not live locally are driving to the area to 'see the floods'. Please do not stretch our resources by adding to the problem," police warned.

Dafydd Vaughan, who lives in the town, told Sky News the situation there was "unbelievable" and "bizarre" - with snow now compounding the flooding situation.

"Most of the hill roads are impassable because of snow and most of the lower land roads are impassable because of floods," he said.

Mr Vaughan said people had been laying sandbags, but that the water had already breached some homes.

Ruthin flooding: Pic: North Wales Police
Image: Areas of Ruthin in North Wales have also been flooded: Pic: North Wales Police
Police have blocked off flooded areas in Ruthin. Pic: Dafydd Vaughan
Image: Officers have blocked off flooded areas in the town. Pic: Dafydd Vaughan

"There are properties flooded at the moment and emergency services are there, the fire brigade's there pumping flood water out of that area and back into the river.

"It looks like they're successful but when the next high tide comes at around five o'clock we could be looking at a similar situation again."

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Flooding hits Wales as storm sweeps UK

In Maghull, north of Liverpool, Sefton Council ordered people to leave their homes as soon as possible.

Downing Street said COVID-secure facilities would be available for anyone forced to evacuate.

Boris Johnson held an emergency COBRA meeting on the situation on Wednesday.

the 20 metre tall Angel of the North sculpture, designed by Antony Gormley, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, during the night after heavy snow blanketed much of the north of England.
Image: The Angel of the North sculpture after heavy snow blanketed the area

In Scotland, meanwhile, there is an amber warning for snow in the south of the country.

The Met Office has warned there will be further snow later in the week as Storm Christoph moves east, with accumulations expected northern England, Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland.