Storm Christoph hits Rochdale borough

Storm Christoph will bring multiple hazards to the UK this week, initially heavy rain, which could lead to flooding in some areas.

An Amber National Severe Weather Warning for rain has been issued for parts of northern, central and eastern England, including Rochdale. Flood alerts have also been issued.

 

Read more: Flood alerts in place for Rochdale and LittleboroughPublished: 19 January 2021

 

The Amber warning is valid from 6am on Tuesday (19 January) through to midday on Thursday (21 January). Within the Amber warning area rainfall accumulations could reach up to 200mm in parts of the southern Pennines and northern Peak District, 40-70mm could be seen more widely.
 

Read more: Amber weather warning for rain this weekPublished: 18 January 2021

Drivers who have to travel are being urged to take extra care on motorways and major A roads, due to heavy rain.  

Highways England is urging drivers to be prepared before setting out on essential journeys, with Met Office reporting rain will be heaviest and most persistent across western facing hills and across higher ground.

Jeremy Phillips, Head of Road User Safety at Highways England, said: “Most of us already slow down in snow, ice or fog but when it rains we consider it normal so don’t adapt our driving.  

“Rain makes it harder for tyres to grip the road and harder for drivers to see ahead – significantly increasing the chances of being involved in a collision.   

“We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys, with heavy rain expected over the coming days.” 

Chief Meteorologist Dan Suri said: “Following a cold spell where the main hazard was snow, our focus now turns to notably heavy rain moving across the UK this week. Some locations could see over 100mm of rain falling through the course just a couple of days with up to 200mm possible over higher ground. These amounts of rainfall along with snow melt present a real threat of flooding and people should keep a close eye on flood warnings from the Environment Agency.

“As the system moves away into the North Sea Wednesday night and Thursday morning there will be strong winds along the east coast for a time. Meanwhile, colder air coming southwards into the weather system brings the risk of further snow on the back edge of this system. Temperatures will gradually fall across the UK through the end of the week and into the weekend bringing a return to widespread overnight frosts.” 

Although Friday will be drier with more sunshine, the delayed response of some river systems means there is still a risk of flooding in some areas.

Into the weekend the feed of cold air from the north west is likely continue, with further wintry showers into the northwest.

Katharine Smith, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Much of the ground in parts of northern, central and eastern England is already saturated and the rainfall together with snowmelt is expected to bring significant river and surface water flooding and could cause damage to buildings in some communities.

"Flooding could continue to affect parts of central, eastern and northern England into Friday, with localised flooding of land and roads a possibility elsewhere across much of country on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground clearing grills, screens and closing flood barriers. We urge people to keep away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.   

“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at via Gov.uk or follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates.” 

In wet weather, you should: 

• Slow down if the rain and spray from vehicles is making it difficult to see and be seen and remember that stopping distances will be at least double in wet weather, because your tyres will have less grip on the road.  
• Keep well back from the vehicle in front as this will increase your ability to see and plan ahead 
• Ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually if the steering becomes unresponsive as it probably means that water is preventing the tyres from gripping the road 

Highways England is advising drivers to pay attention to messages on the overhead electronic signs and listen for radio updates. Further information can be found by visiting www.trafficengland.com.