Airport set to reopen after flooding forced it to close and cancel flights

  • These were the scenes at Exeter Airport as staff cleaned up following the flooding.

Exeter Airport has reopened after it was forced to close due to flash floods.

Travel has been disrupted by the “torrential downpours”, which caused the airport to cancel its remaining flights on Sunday.

An airport spokesman said: “Following Sunday afternoon’s flash flooding, which caused the closure of the airport, our teams are working through the night cleaning up and we expect to be open tomorrow morning, Monday.

“Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the very latest information about their flight, and please bear with us while we do our very best to return all airport operations to normal.”

Videos posted on social media showed a flooded main terminal.

An amber weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of Devon and Somerset was in place on Sunday afternoon, with a yellow warning in other parts of south-west England and South Wales.

A yellow warning issued for the south-west of England expired at 6am on Monday.

Driving conditions will be difficult in the worst-hit areas Credit: Danny Lawson/PA

Heavy rain brought “torrential downpours” across the West Country on Sunday, with localised flooding in Devon.

It also led to widespread road closures, bus and train cancellations and the closure of Paignton Zoo.

Almost a month’s rain fell on Sunday at the Birds Hill rain gauge on the edge of Exmoor.

Other spots saw up to 60mm of rainfall, more than half the September average for the region of 92.45mm.

Amber-warning areas could see buildings damaged by lightning Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA

The band of rain moved eastwards throughout Sunday and cleared by the early hours of Monday morning.

Despite the wet weather easing, the Environment Agency issued several fresh flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, after midnight.

The affected areas include the River Cole in Swindon.

Conditions are expected to remain “blustery at times” early this week but are likely to be fresher.

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said more storms are possible as the remnants of Hurricane Lee, which hit New England in the US and eastern Canada, is set to move across the UK between Tuesday and Thursday.

It will no longer be a hurricane by the time it reaches UK shores.

Mr Vautrey said: “That will be getting picked up by the jet stream. Showers in places could be heavy with a risk of further thunderstorms.

“It could be quite an unsettled, autumnal week to come.”