Football pitch collapses and roads close as severe flooding hits parts of UK

Neil Connery and Stacey Foster report from Bedfordshire, where an amber warning for heavy rain is in place


Parts of England and Wales have been hit by flash floods, with some areas seeing more than a month's rainfall in just 24 hours.

A football pitch collapsed, properties have been damaged, cars have been submerged and major roads across the UK closed on Monday.

Thunder, lightning and hail battered the country over the weekend and a fresh yellow alert was issued on Monday morning covering parts of Wales, much of the south of England, the Midlands and into north-west England and Yorkshire.

The amber warning, which came into force at 5am, is in place until midnight.

Vehicles were stranded under a bridge in Bedfordshire. Credit: Chris Agar

Met Office chiefs have stated that the UK can expect continued unsettled weather and potentially more warnings in the coming days.

AFC Wimbledon and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup third-round meeting on Tuesday has been postponed to October 1 due to the overnight flooding at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

The Dons’ stadium also appears to have a sinkhole in the pitch and flooded walkways.

A sinkhole on the pitch at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, home of AFC Wimbledon Credit: PA

Heavy rainfall overnight saw areas in Bedfordshire already submerged, with police confirming a number of road closures including Dunstable High Street.

Several areas in Northamptonshire have also been impacted, with roads and houses flooded in water several feet deep.

Jon Sayles, from Grendon, said his home has been hit with “two feet” of water after heavy rainfall overnight.

He said: "I’ve got electrical problems, the sockets don’t work, the fridge isn’t working and there’s damage to the carpet and settees.

"I was in bed as I’d decided to have an early night. A neighbour called me to tell me what was happening so I went to have a look and saw the water. It was unbelievable.

“I’m still clearing up and had no sleep last night."

A car driving in flood water in Grendon, Northamptonshire Credit: PA

Tim Maher and his partner Carol Findon, from Grendon, Northamptonshire, saw their two-storey home partially submerged overnight with more than a foot of water.

“We’ve had some damage to the carpets, settees and other furniture. The most difficult bit will be drying out the structure," he said.

“We haven’t had much sleep and at least eight houses on our road have been impacted. It would be nice to get a permanent solution to this problem.”

Tim Maher in his flooded house in Grendon, Northamptonshire Credit: PA

At a farm in Bedfordshire, locals rushed to save ponies and sheep which were hit by flooding, with some people wading into chest-height water to drag them to safety.

Members of the community and emergency services were helping until the early hours of the morning, building temporary pens for some of the animals by the roadside and finding short-term places for the others, including a school playground for two ponies.

The heavy rain is expected to build across central and southern England early on Monday, before edging north and west.

Into the evening, the heavy conditions should weaken.

What is an amber weather warning?

Met Office officials have given the heavy rain an amber warning due to it having a medium likelihood of occurring and a medium impact on the UK.

Experts expect that spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

They also say some flooding could occur with public transport expected to be impacted.

The Met Office also said there is a chance of power cuts and some communities being blocked off by flooded roads.


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