Flash flooding hits Essex as a month's worth of rain falls in two hours

This video of the roads near the Army & Navy roundabout in Chelmsford was filmed by Courtney Dean


Chelmsford and surrounding areas in Essex has been hit by flash flooding as two inches of rain fell in two hours. It was more rain than normally falls in an entire month.

The deluge hit on Saturday afternoon by the Met Office is warning for more downpours across the Anglia region on Sunday and Monday.

Many parts of the region were affected by torrential showers and thunderstorms on Saturday.

Traffic in flood water in Chelmsford during Saturday's torrential downpour which saw a month's worth of rain in a couple of hours. Credit: Courtney Dean

Writtle near Chelmsford recorded 40 mm (1.6 inches) of rain in an hour on Saturday afternoon and more than 50 mm (2 inches) within two hours.

Normally in Writtle, the average rainfall for the whole month of August is 52 mm.

This video from Chelmsford was posted on Twitter by Ben Camis

Other areas of the region were hit by torrential rain and more heavy showers are forecast.

The Met Office says in its severe weather warning: "Some locations within the warning area may miss the thunderstorms altogether, but where they do occur 30-40 mm of rain may fall in an hour with the potential for 60-90 mm in a few hours.

"The most likely areas to see the larger totals are in the East of England and then the East Midlands during the afternoon and evening."

If you have pictures or video - please send them to angliaweather@itv.com



Rainfall totals in the Anglia region on Saturday 15 August 2020 and into Sunday

  • 22.6 mm at Harpenden, Hertfordshire in three hours (9pm-midnight)

  • 21.8 mm at Sible Hedingham, Essex in one hour (6pm-7pm)

  • 20.2 mm at Luton, Bedfordshire in two hours (11pm-1am)

  • 20.0 mm at Takeley, Essex in three hours (7am-10am Saturday)

  • 13.2 mm at Byfield, Northamptonshire in two hours (4am-6am Sunday)