Britain is set to enjoy 60F highs today with bursts of rain expected across the south and north of England after Storm Barbara battered parts of the UK yesterday with 65mph gales and flash floods.
A fortnight’s worth of rain fell in three hours on Wednesday as the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for downpours across the south coast, the Midlands, London and East Anglia.
Further warnings were issued for heavy rain in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Perth and Kinross in Scotland until 11am today, when the downpours gave way to drier and brighter conditions across much of Britain.
Strong winds and heavy rain caused significant travel disruption amid Storm Barbara yesterday, with at least two crashes on the M5 and the A303 closed in both directions in Wiltshire.
There were also flood alerts in place for parts of Leicestershire and on the Cornish coast, with gusts of 45mph to 55mph recorded inland and 65mph near the coast elsewhere as the wind whipped in through the English Channel.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said Storm Barbara, which battered Spain and Portugal earlier in the week, was ‘moving north east – we know as we got a glancing blow of it – and it’s weakening as it does so’.
He added that today ‘thankfully will be drier and brighter but there will be short, sharp showers around the South East and London. North of Manchester, it will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain.’
Britain is set to enjoy 60F highs today with bursts of rain expected across the south and north of England. Pictured: People ride horses on Wimbledon Common today
A fortnight’s worth of rain fell in three hours on Wednesday as the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for downpours across the south coast, the Midlands, London and East Anglia. Pictured: Wimbledon Common today
Pictured: Women exercise on Wimbledon Common a day after stormy weather conditions caused by Storm Barbara
A family walks across on old stone bridge in Jesmond Dene, Newcastle this morning following stormy conditions yesterday
However, Britain’s drier conditions and highs of 61F (16C) will be short lived, with more wet and windy weather expected to hit the nation over the weekend.
Met Office meteorologist Oli Claydon added: ‘The wind and rain clears off into the North Sea and after that we’re left with a continued spell of unsettled conditions across the UK through the week.’
There may also be ‘periods of slightly more settled conditions’ and the occasional sunny spell – but things will remain ‘generally broadly unsettled’ through the weekend.
Overnight today will be dry for much of England, Wales and eastern Scotland. However, more widespread rain and strong winds could appear in western parts of Britain.
On Friday, downpours and strong gusts will again appear in the east, with showers following into western parts of the UK. Heavy rain is also expected in the northwest.
The rest of the week will see cooler temperatures of 53 to 55F (12 to 13C) in the North – with the South a touch warmer.
Pictured: A group of people walk their dogs past trees in autumn colour in Jesmond Dene in Newcastle this morning
Strong winds and heavy rain caused significant travel disruption amid Storm Barbara yesterday, with at least two crashes on the M5 and the A303 closed in both directions in Wiltshire. Pictured: Jesmond Dene, Newcastle today
Britain’s drier conditions and highs of 61F (16C) in the South today will be short lived, with more wet and windy weather expected to hit the nation over the weekend. Pictured: Jesmond Dene
Pictured: Red deer stags in Richmond Park, London today amid a day of milder weather after stormy conditions yesterday
The rest of the week will see mild temperatures of 53 to 55F (12 to 13C) in the North – with the South a touch warmer. Pictured: Richmond Park
Residents were rescued from flooded properties and motorists from stranded cars after torrential downpours battered the north east amid Storm Barbara yesterday.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it was called to reports of flooding in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
Several appliances attended the scene and residents were rescued from six properties.
An SFRS spokesman said: ‘We were alerted at 4.53am on Thursday October 22 to reports of flooding affecting a number of properties in and around Bruce Crescent and Provost Davidson Drive in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
‘Operations control mobilised two fire appliances and two specialist water rescue units and firefighters worked to assist several people to places of safety from around six houses which had been affected by the flood waters.
Commuters hold umbrellas as they cross London Bridge in the capital on Wednesday and endure a wet commute to work
A woman crosses London Bridge in heavy rain. Downpours hit the south coast, Midlands, London and East Anglia yesterday
Yellow weather warnings were issued by the Met Office run until 5pm on Wednesday. Pictured are people walking near London Bridge
A surfer comes off his board while riding the waves at Bracklesham Bay, a popular surfing spot on the West Sussex coast
Surfers walk out of the sea at Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex on Wednesday as much of the country was swamped by heavy rain
‘Crews remain in attendance as they work to make the area safe and assist with the pumping of water from affected homes.’
In Angus, the A92 was closed after three cars became stuck in flood water between Arbroath and Montrose at around 4.10am.
Last week, it emerged that Britain endured its wettest day on record earlier this month – with enough rainfall to fill Loch Ness.
October 3 brought an average of 31.7mm (1.25in) across the country, the most since records began 129 years ago.
The day of downpours came hours after Storm Alex battered Britain with 90mph gales. It beat the previous record of 29.8mm (1.17in) on August 25, 1986.
A walker wades through a large puddle in Dunsden, Oxfordshire (left) and a group of runners cross a muddy field
Country lanes begin to flood with all of the heavy rainfall that fell throughout yesterday afternoon in Dunsden, Oxfordshire