Motorists urged not to drive through flood water as heavy rain forecast for UK
Yellow warnings have been issued by the Met Office for thunderstorms and hail on Monday across much of England and Scotland, with a chance of up to 50mm of rain within a single hour.
The thunderstorms could lead to significant travel disruption, and flood alerts have been issued urging motorists not to drive through deep or fast-flowing water.
Chris Wilding, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms mean significant surface water flooding is possible across parts of the country today.
'Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground and supporting local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.
'We urge people not to drive though flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.
'People should search 'check my flood risk' online, sign up for free flood warnings, and keep up-to-date with the latest situation with @EnvAgency on X.'
The rain is set to be heavy and persistent across eastern Northern Ireland and western Scotland, while central and southern areas in the UK will see a mix of sunny spells and scattered thundery showers.
The Met Office warned storms could pose a danger to life as well as damage to homes and businesses from flood water and lightning strikes, and transport delays and road closures.
Temperatures would vary significantly depending on cloud cover and rainfall, remaining cool in most parts of the country, but rising to around 25C in central England.
Tom Morgan, Met Office presenter and meteorologist, said: 'We have a warning for rain in place for much of the day to come. Some flooding on the roads is possible.
'And it won't just be Northern Ireland. (In) parts of western Scotland, parts of Wales and the South West, we'll also see some rain at times through the day.
Yellow warnings for rain and thunderstorms are currently in force across much of the UK 🌧️
Will you be under a weather warning today? Here are the details 👇
Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/6FVpzxJTpg
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 21, 2025
'Further east, it's a different set-up entirely. A mixture of sunny spells and scattered heavy showers for Scotland, northern England, parts of the Midlands and East Anglia in the South East.
'In those sunny spells, we could see temperatures get into the mid-20s. But when those showers come along, you'll really know about it.
'(There will be) some gusty winds, the potential for some hail, and certainly some frequent lightning and heavy rain as well.
'So, temperatures up to 25C in the warmest spots, but generally a little bit fresher out towards the west with the wind coming in from the Atlantic.
'By Monday evening, that rain will be starting to ease very slowly, but there'll still be showery outbreaks of rain through this evening and overnight for many northern and western parts of the UK.'
Yellow warnings for thunderstorms remain in place for parts of Scotland on Tuesday, while the rest of the country will see a more mixed picture of sunny spells and scattered showers, with the rain continuing until the evening.
Mr Morgan suggested that temperatures will remain high in places despite the adverse weather conditions.
He said: 'Tuesday is not looking as unsettled. The showers won't be quite as widespread or indeed as heavy as they have been.
'Nonetheless, there will be some showers or longer spells of rain for Scotland in particular, the west, (and) northwestern parts of England as well.
'But many parts of England and Wales (will be) actually getting away with a fairly reasonable day with some dry periods.
'And if the sunshine does break through that cloud at times, well, we might see temperatures reach 24C or 25C.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
Spanish Catastrophe Insurance Is World-Leading. How Will It Deal With Escalating Climate Change?
A resident of Chiva, Spain cleans the outside of her home after flooding in November 2024. ... More (Photographer: Angel Garcia) When Andriy Drohorub, his wife, and their two daughters left Ukraine for Spain in June 2024, they were seeking a safer life. Two months later Drohorub bought a ground-floor apartment in the village of Alfafara. There was so much to do—learning Spanish, trying to get his medical credentials recognized, looking for online work in the meantime—that he didn't have time to buy insurance. Because he didn't need a mortgage, he wasn't required to take out home insurance. The family had only been in their new home for four months when, in late October, intense rainfall led to flooding in southern and eastern Spain. The violence of the gushing water was intense. Windows blew out, chunks of the walls peeled off, and furniture was knocked over. Mud and debris accumulated everywhere. 'The house was completely destroyed,' Drohorub reports. It could have been even worse. An elderly neighbor died, one of at least 232 people to die in the floods caused by the weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos). Emergency alerts came too late for many. In the aftermath, as the family sought to rebuild their lives again, Drohorub wasn't able to obtain government help. He had to take out a loan to make repairs. He's grateful to rescuers, police, and volunteers who helped the family with furniture and appliances. 'The people here are very friendly and close-knit, but the state has a lot of bureaucracy and everything is very slow,' Drohorub feels. Though the apartment isn't back to 100%, it's now liveable again. One question is whether insurance could have helped the family get back on its feet earlier, and without turning to debt. How Spanish Catastrophe Insurance Works The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (CCS – Insurance Compensation Consortium) is the Spanish system for protecting insured people from extraordinary risks. It was set up in 1941, after the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War. CCS is a public company run by government officials and representatives of private insurance companies. Anyone with life, accident, property, or business interruption insurance is covered under CCS. This encompasses 140 million policies. The consortium is funded by a 0.15% charge on the gross premiums, which insurers are required to collect. For a car owner, this amounts to about €2 a year. For the owner of a €200,000 home, this would be €14. Though small, this surcharge embeds a kind of solidarity among all insurance policyholders in Spain, believes Francisco Espejo Gil, the assistant director for research and international relations at CCS. Whether they're in a flood-prone part of Spain or not, everyone pays the same. He refers to this as 'a community insurance at a national scale.' In Espejo's view, everybody wins: insurers have a secure market (albeit with less flexibility). Individuals have guaranteed coverage for extraordinary events (as long as they're covered for ordinary ones). And public emergency budgets are kept in check by an insurance system that most people opt into (about 80% of residential properties are covered, according to Espejo). This isn't a system just for the rich or just for the poor—most groups are covered. However, it's not a perfect system. Some home and car owners are disappointed and confused by low appraisals of their damaged property. Some are angry at delays in processing claims. Espejo says that CCS aims to pay about 80% of the total losses in the first four months of an extraordinary event. According to him, that target is normally achieved for small to medium events. Of course, the Valencia flooding was a very large and devastating event. CCS has now paid out almost all of the home and car claims, but the processing rates are lower for industrial and civil infrastructure, which involves more complex assessments. Cascading Climate Risks Then there's the threat multiplier of climate change. DANA has been the costliest event in CCS' 70-year history. CCS paid out more in DANA claims than in the next 10 most expensive events combined. 'This was a very serious outlier in terms of frequency and intensity. Truly we are witnessing an intensification in both hazard and exposure,' Espejo says somberly. The flooding didn't break CCS, but with losses amounting to €4.5 billion, it came close to the probable maximum loss of over €5 billion. A man sits behind a pile of mud in Paiporta, Spain, following flooding in November 2024. ... More (Photographer: Jose Jordan) Espejo, a meteorologist, explains, 'The Mediterranean Sea is reaching sea surface temperature of nearly or above 30° in the summer, and that's a weather bomb. For each degree that the temperature of the air rises, the capacity of the atmosphere to hold water vapor rises by 7%.' A hotter sea and a more humid atmosphere mean a greater capacity for heavy rain, flash floods, and widespread damage. 'Very likely this is going to be the future not only for Spain, for all of us in central and southern Europe.' María José Sanz Sánchez, the scientific director of the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) in Bilbao, warns that 'even the best insurance schemes in the world, like the Spanish one,' may struggle as extreme climate-linked events increase. Along with the intensity and frequency, the unpredictability of extreme events is growing. Cathal Carr, founder of the reinsurance company OAK Re, says that companies like his would generally look at the previous 50–100 years' worth of data to model risks. This is no longer sufficient. CCS may also need to change course. It covers agricultural insurance and catastrophic risk insurance. The aim of the latter is to provide a buffer against catastrophes both natural (earthquakes) and human (terrorism). Increasingly, the division between a 'natural' disaster and one caused by humans is becoming blurrier. Over CCS' existence, extreme daily rainfall in September–December in central and southeastern Spain has become twice as likely, and 12% more intense, due to human-caused climate change. Most CCS claims have been related to floods. CCS stopped covering hail in the 1980s, though it continues to be a threat. A hailstorm affected Valencia around the same time as the floods last autumn. So far, wildfires are not yet included, but could be part of CCS coverage in the future if the damages increase. When determining what to cover, CCS distinguishes between climate hazards (for example, it does not cover heatwaves) and hydrometeorological hazards (for example, it does cover drought). The consortium's perspective is that these have different implications for insurance. In practice, however, the effects are interlinked, particularly as climate variability intensifies. Espejo likes to explain the distinction by specifying that private companies 'cover water damages when the water comes from the roof and we cover water damages when the water comes by the door.' In other words, hail damage is covered by the private market, which is free to apply risk-reflective premiums. Crop insurance for droughts falls under CCS' purview. The 0.15% surcharge will probably need to be raised if extraordinary events increase, Espejo acknowledges. This would mark a change. In the 21st century, the charge has only been lowered (in view of the health of the insurance market). An even more complex question is whether having a reliable catastrophe insurer discourages individuals and communities from reducing risk in the first place. 'We have to make a choice,' Espejo responds. 'And our choice is to favor the availability and the existence of insurance,' rather than leaving people vulnerable through less affordable or accessible insurance. Global Fragmentation While climate-related disasters have led to insurer pullouts in vulnerable areas like California, CCS has ensured a stable base for insurance companies, which continue to be profitable in Spain in spite of its climate exposure. Compared to other European countries, the combined ratio of Spanish insurance is generally much lower (more profitable) and more stable, says Ekaterina Ishchenko, a director at Fitch Ratings, a credit rating agency, in Madrid. 'I think in general it's quite positive for particular countries' insurance sectors to have a scheme like that, but that's of course based on the political will,' Ishchenko comments. In Spain, 'I think that it has demonstrated that it works really well for the sector and for the country.' France has a similar system, but Germany does not. 'I think Germany is a bit behind on this front,' comments Alberto Messina, a senior director at Fitch Ratings in Frankfurt. 'There's been political discussions again, which obviously usually intensify right after an event occurs, and then perhaps fade away a bit after that.' Overall, Messina believes, 'The direction of travel is towards the Spain model. And I think the spirit based on which other countries are moving is essentially not to do a favor to the insurers, but to protect businesses and customers, in the sense that it's just cheaper and safer to prevent as opposed to wait for the event to occur and then rebuild from scratch. So I think that's what they're trying to achieve now, in order to build resilience and business continuity and avoid disruptions.' There are both logistical and ideological reasons that not all countries will adopt a Spain-style model for catastrophe insurance. In some places, people living outside of flood risk zones, for instance, might balk at the idea of paying the same insurance surcharge as people in more vulnerable areas. Though it may not be palatable everywhere, this goes back to that idea of solidarity that animates CCS. Sanz, the Valencia-born climate scientist, believes that the general principle behind CCS is very much needed in an era of spiralling climate impacts. That is, everyone has to contribute and share the for this story was supported in part by a press trip organized by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
News24
6 hours ago
- News24
Wednesday's weather: Heavy rain in KZN; foggy morning for most parts
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of disruptive rainfall, which may lead to localised flooding in KwaZulu-Natal while foggy conditions are expected in most parts of the country. Impact-based warnings - Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall along the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Expected impacts include localised flooding of susceptible formal/informal settlements, roads, low-lying areas, and bridges; slippery roads possibly causing minor vehicle accidents and difficult driving conditions, particularly on dirt roads. In the SAWS' colour-coded weather warning system, yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation. SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Levels 2 and 6 are high, and Level 4 is low. The weather in your province Gauteng: Morning fog patches in the south and central areas, clearing to a partly cloudy day. Cold conditions persist, but it will be slightly warmer in the north. Mpumalanga: Fog patches expected along the escarpment in the morning, with a partly cloudy and cold day ahead. Cool conditions in the east accompanied by isolated showers, except in the extreme west. Mbombela: 11°C — 20°C Ermelo: 6°C — 14°C Emalahleni: 6°C — 16°C Standerton: 7°C — 15°C Skukuza: 14°C — 23°C Limpopo: Morning fog along the escarpment, then partly cloudy and cool conditions throughout the province. Isolated showers are anticipated in the east. Polokwane: 9°C — 17°C Phalaborwa: 15°C — 23°C Tzaneen: 11°C — 17°C Musina: 15°C — 21°C Lephalale: 12°C — 20°C Mokopane: 10°C — 18°C North West: A partly cloudy and cool day with isolated showers and thundershowers expected in the western areas. Klerksdorp: 6°C — 19°C Potchefstroom: 6°C — 18°C Mahikeng: 7°C — 19°C Rustenburg: 7°C — 19°C Vryburg: 7°C — 19°C Free State: Cloudy start with morning fog in the eastern areas, clearing to partly cloudy skies. Cold to cool temperatures with isolated showers and thundershowers, except in the northern parts. Bloemfontein: 6°C — 18°C Welkom: 8°C — 18°C Bethlehem: 4°C — 15°C Northern Cape: Morning fog along the northern coastal areas, followed by partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions. Isolated showers and thundershowers likely in the east and central areas during the afternoon. Coastal winds: Moderate to fresh south-easterly. Upington: 9°C — 23°C Kimberley: 8°C — 20°C De Aar: 7°C — 17°C Alexander Bay: 8°C — 19°C Springbok: 11°C — 22°C Calvinia: 5°C — 24°C Sutherland: 4°C — 19°C Western Cape: Morning mist or fog patches in the northern and southwestern regions, transitioning to a fine and cool-to-warm day. Isolated showers and thundershowers may occur in the extreme northeastern areas in the afternoon. Coastal winds: Moderate to fresh southerly to south-easterly, with light to moderate north-easterlies along the south coast in the morning. Western half of the Eastern Cape: Morning fog in parts of the interior, leading to a fine and cool day. Partly cloudy skies with isolated afternoon thundershowers possible in the north. Coastal winds: Light north-easterly, becoming south-westerly by the afternoon. Eastern Half of the Eastern Cape: Foggy morning conditions in the interior, followed by fine and cool weather. Northern regions may experience isolated afternoon thundershowers. Coastal winds: Light to moderate north-easterly. Gqberha: 9°C — 21°C Makhanda: 7°C — 22°C Cradock: 5°C — 19°C Graaff-Reinet: 5°C — 21°C East London: 13°C — 22°C Port St Johns: 11°C — 21°C Mthatha: 7°C — 21°C Komani: 5°C — 19°C Qonce: 6°C — 23°C KwaZulu-Natal: Foggy patches in the interior in the morning, giving way to partly cloudy and cool weather, with colder conditions in the west. Isolated showers and rain expected, becoming scattered along the north coast. Coastal winds: Moderate to fresh southerly to south-westerly, turning north-easterly in the extreme south and moving up to Richards Bay by late afternoon. South-easterly winds expected in the north from late morning. * This weather report was written with the support of Toqan AI.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
National Hurricane Center now watching 3 waves in Atlantic. Heat, storms expected Tuesday
The latest maybe-threat in the tropics is currently no threat at all. The National Hurricane Center has been watching a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms in the Atlantic associated with an area of low pressure hundreds of miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles, but the latest July 22 update gives it zero chance of further development. "Environmental conditions are becoming increasingly unfavorable as the wave moves west-northwestward at around 15 mph, and further development is no longer anticipated," Hurricane Specialist Philippe Papin said in the update. Most of the state can expect to see some rain and thunderstorms today from it, though, along with moisture from the Atlantic, National Weather Service forecasters said. AccuWeather forecasters are watching the low-pressure system as well as an area of the Gulf of America where a slow-moving round of heavy rain and thunderstorms may develop this week, and an area extending from Texas to the Carolina coast with a low chance of tropical development. The NHC is also tracking another tropical wave that just left the coast of Africa, making that three to watch in the Atlantic. ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location The next named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season will be Dexter. Historically, the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season arrives Aug. 15. The last two named storms of the season — Barry and Chantal — developed earlier than normal. Florida heat wave lessening on paper, still feels hot Meanwhile, the oppressive heat across Florida is letting up a bit as the heat dome bringing record temperatures to the South expands across the Central Plains and Midwest, National Weather Service forecasters said. Heat advisories for July 22 have been issued for North Florida, the Panhandle, and North Central Florida, with heat index values expected up to 110-111 with a few spots in the Panhandle facing major heat risks, but the rest of the state is forecast to see temperatures "just" in the high 80s and low 90s and heat index values up to 100-105. ➤Florida burning with heat advisories issued across state Heat index alert: Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida Latest heat advisories: Portions of southeast Alabama, Big Bend and Panhandle Florida, and south central and southwest Georgia from 11 a.m. ET through 7 p.m. Heat index values up to 111 expected. Portions of northeast and northern Florida and southeast Georgia from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Heat index values up to 112 possible. Be careful going outside If you have to, and stay hydrated. Here's the latest tropical advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 2:15 a.m. July 22: NOAA Hurricane Center tracks tropical disturbance in Atlantic Shower and thunderstorm activity remains disorganized with a tropical wave located several hundred miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles. Environmental conditions are becoming increasingly unfavorable as the wave moves west-northwestward at around 15 mph, and further development is no longer anticipated. Formation chance through 48 hours: Low, near 0 percent Formation chance through 7 days: Low, near 0 percent Florida weather radar for July 22, 2025 National Weather Service Florida forecast for July 22 : A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 113. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Tallahassee, central Panhandle: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 111. North northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. : A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of showers between 11 a.m. and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 109. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. : Showers and thunderstorms likely before 4 p.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., then showers and thunderstorms likely after 5 p.m. High near 89. Heat index values as high as 103. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. : Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. : Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 106. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. ➤ How to set up emergency cellphone notifications for flash flood warnings and safety tips ➤ Excessive rainfall forecast What else is happening in the tropics? The National Hurricane Center is tracking three tropical waves. Tropical wave 1: A new far eastern Atlantic tropical wave has its axis near 19N from 05N to 18N. It is moving westward at 5 to 10 kt. Scattered moderate convection is seen from 10N to 12N between the coast of Africa and 22W. Tropical wave 2: An eastern Atlantic tropical wave has its axis near 33W from 05N to 17N, moving westward at 10 kt. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are limited to within 60 nm either side of the southern part of the wave from 08N to 10N. Tropical wave 3: A central Atlantic tropical wave has its axis near 52W from 03N to 17N, moving westward at about 15 kt. Scattered moderate convection is seen from 10N to 15N between 52W and 57W. Environmental conditions are becoming increasingly unfavorable around the wave. 2025 hurricane season so far An average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. Here's when this year's named storms have developed, compared to historical averages: Tropical Storm Andrea: formed June 24. Average start date: June 20 Tropical Storm Barry: formed June 29. Average start date: July 17 Tropical Storm Chantal: formed July 5. Average start date: Aug. 3. Next up, Dexter: Average state date: Aug. 15, with the average first hurricane forming Aug. 11. Hurricane names for 2025 season Here are the names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, along with how to pronounce them: Andrea (June 24) Barry (June 29) Chantal (July 5) Dexter: DEHK-ster Erin: AIR-rin Fernand: fair-NAHN Gabrielle: ga-bree-ELL Humberto: oom-BAIR-toh Imelda: ee-MEHL-dah Jerry: JEHR-ee Karen: KAIR-ren Lorenzo: loh-REN-zoh Melissa: meh-LIH-suh Nestor: NES-tor Olga: OAL-guh Pablo: PAHB-lo Rebekah: reh-BEH-kuh Sebastien: se-BAS-tee-en Tanya: TAHN-yuh Van: van Wendy: WEN-dee When is the Atlantic hurricane season? The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Ninety-seven percent of tropical cyclone activity occurs during this time period, NOAA said. The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories. When is the peak of hurricane season? National Hurricane Center map: See what forecasters watching now Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include: Why does NHC say 'tropical cyclone' on its maps instead of hurricane or tropical storm? Tropical cyclone is the generic term used by the National Weather Service, NOAA and the National Hurricane Center for any tropical system, even if it's in the tropical Atlantic basin. To be more precise, a tropical cyclone is a "rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation," NOAA sadi. Once maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, what it is called is determined by where it originated: : for storms in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, and eastern North Pacific. : for storms in the Northwest Pacific. : for storms in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text What's next? We will update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Center tracks 3 tropical waves. Heat advisories continue
