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| Christmas travel under threat from heavy rain and floods | Christmas travel under threat from heavy rain and floods |
| (4 months later) | |
| The millions of people embarking on the great Christmas getaway this weekend will have to contend with the threat of more rain and flooding, which could bring further disruption and delays to the roads and railways. | The millions of people embarking on the great Christmas getaway this weekend will have to contend with the threat of more rain and flooding, which could bring further disruption and delays to the roads and railways. |
| Friday is expected to be the busiest travelling day of the festive period, with airports, sea ports and the rail and road networks braced to cope with a vast army of travellers. | Friday is expected to be the busiest travelling day of the festive period, with airports, sea ports and the rail and road networks braced to cope with a vast army of travellers. |
| The exodus from Heathrow will be at its greatest, with 123,000 passengers set to depart from the west London airport, which will handle a further 114,000 departures on Sunday and 88,000 on Christmas Eve. | The exodus from Heathrow will be at its greatest, with 123,000 passengers set to depart from the west London airport, which will handle a further 114,000 departures on Sunday and 88,000 on Christmas Eve. |
| But there are delays of up to an hour on First Great Western trains between London Paddington and Reading and Heathrow because of a signalling problem, and Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect services are suspended. | But there are delays of up to an hour on First Great Western trains between London Paddington and Reading and Heathrow because of a signalling problem, and Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect services are suspended. |
| The busiest roads this weekend are likely to be the M25, the M6 in the West Midlands, the M1 near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, the M5 near Bristol and the M62 near Warrington in Cheshire. | The busiest roads this weekend are likely to be the M25, the M6 in the West Midlands, the M1 near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, the M5 near Bristol and the M62 near Warrington in Cheshire. |
| The Highways Agency said roadworks were still under way on the M4 between junctions 10 and 11 at Reading, on the M25 at junctions five and six near Godstone in Surrey and on the M5 between junctions 19 and 21 near Bristol. | The Highways Agency said roadworks were still under way on the M4 between junctions 10 and 11 at Reading, on the M25 at junctions five and six near Godstone in Surrey and on the M5 between junctions 19 and 21 near Bristol. |
| The AA, which predicts Friday and Saturday will be the busiest days for motorists, is warning drivers against using flooded roads, having attended more than 320 breakdowns on Thursday as vehicles got stuck in water. | The AA, which predicts Friday and Saturday will be the busiest days for motorists, is warning drivers against using flooded roads, having attended more than 320 breakdowns on Thursday as vehicles got stuck in water. |
| A number of rail services have been cancelled because of flooding. | A number of rail services have been cancelled because of flooding. |
| Trains were cancelled between Ellesmere Port and Hooton near Chester until further notice, with a replacement bus service running. Trains between Crewe and Chester were also cancelled because of flooding, while trains between Chester and Wrexham General were delayed by up to 25 minutes. | Trains were cancelled between Ellesmere Port and Hooton near Chester until further notice, with a replacement bus service running. Trains between Crewe and Chester were also cancelled because of flooding, while trains between Chester and Wrexham General were delayed by up to 25 minutes. |
| There were delays of up to 20 minutes between Darlington and Newcastle, while a landslip in Stirling, central Scotland, meant buses were replacing trains between Bridge of Orchy and Crianlarich. | There were delays of up to 20 minutes between Darlington and Newcastle, while a landslip in Stirling, central Scotland, meant buses were replacing trains between Bridge of Orchy and Crianlarich. |
| Floods near Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent also caused rail disruptions, with a replacement bus service, while there were delays between Derby and Nottingham and East Midlands Parkway. | Floods near Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent also caused rail disruptions, with a replacement bus service, while there were delays between Derby and Nottingham and East Midlands Parkway. |
| Services between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall were also affected, with replacement bus services adding 30 minutes to journey times. | Services between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall were also affected, with replacement bus services adding 30 minutes to journey times. |
| The Environment Agency said nearly 400 flood alerts and warnings were in place, including 91 more serious flood warnings, focused on the south-west, east Anglia, the Midlands and the north-east. | The Environment Agency said nearly 400 flood alerts and warnings were in place, including 91 more serious flood warnings, focused on the south-west, east Anglia, the Midlands and the north-east. |
| The river Ouse in York was rising steadily, and levels were expected to peak late on Friday afternoon, while the nearby river Ure was also being monitored by Environment Agency staff. In Dorset the river Stour was rising and threatening farmland near Bournemouth. | The river Ouse in York was rising steadily, and levels were expected to peak late on Friday afternoon, while the nearby river Ure was also being monitored by Environment Agency staff. In Dorset the river Stour was rising and threatening farmland near Bournemouth. |
| Heavy rain swept England and Wales on Thursday, leaving residents on tenterhooks as river levels rose. | Heavy rain swept England and Wales on Thursday, leaving residents on tenterhooks as river levels rose. |
| But while large swaths of the country were on alert, there was no repeat of last month's flooding that caused widespread devastation. | But while large swaths of the country were on alert, there was no repeat of last month's flooding that caused widespread devastation. |
| In Wallington, Hampshire, there was a severe flood warning as the river Wallington threatened to burst its banks. | In Wallington, Hampshire, there was a severe flood warning as the river Wallington threatened to burst its banks. |
| Havant borough council evacuated 85 properties as a precaution, the Environment Agency said, and staff reinforced a flood wall that had shown signs of cracking. The wall held, and flood warnings for the area were withdrawn as the levels receded. | Havant borough council evacuated 85 properties as a precaution, the Environment Agency said, and staff reinforced a flood wall that had shown signs of cracking. The wall held, and flood warnings for the area were withdrawn as the levels receded. |
| In Cornwall, there was a minor landslide near Gorran Haven that left a tonne of soil blocking the road. | In Cornwall, there was a minor landslide near Gorran Haven that left a tonne of soil blocking the road. |
| In St Cleer, near Liskeard, one woman had to be rescued from her car after becoming trapped by floodwater, while a man became trapped after he drove over a humpback bridge crossing the Bude canal and found himself surrounded by fast-flowing and rising water, Cornwall council said. | In St Cleer, near Liskeard, one woman had to be rescued from her car after becoming trapped by floodwater, while a man became trapped after he drove over a humpback bridge crossing the Bude canal and found himself surrounded by fast-flowing and rising water, Cornwall council said. |
| Although some parts of the country may even enjoy a flash of sunshine on Friday, forecasters said up to 45mm – almost 2ins – of rain could fall in the 24 hours from 6pm, and the Environment Agency was warning people to be braced for more threats of flooding. | Although some parts of the country may even enjoy a flash of sunshine on Friday, forecasters said up to 45mm – almost 2ins – of rain could fall in the 24 hours from 6pm, and the Environment Agency was warning people to be braced for more threats of flooding. |
| Andy Ratcliffe, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said rain had been confined to the north-east and Scotland overnight, and that Friday would be largely dry. | Andy Ratcliffe, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said rain had been confined to the north-east and Scotland overnight, and that Friday would be largely dry. |
| He said: "Throughout today rain will ease in many places, but it will be persistent across eastern Scotland. | He said: "Throughout today rain will ease in many places, but it will be persistent across eastern Scotland. |
| "It will be largely dry for most, with the risk of the odd shower. It will be dry until evening, when the next band of rain moves into the south-west. | "It will be largely dry for most, with the risk of the odd shower. It will be dry until evening, when the next band of rain moves into the south-west. |
| "It will rain during the evening, before pushing north-east across most areas overnight, heavy and persistent, with large amounts of rainfall, especially in the south-west, which will see between 40mm and 45mm in the 24 hours to 6pm on Saturday. | "It will rain during the evening, before pushing north-east across most areas overnight, heavy and persistent, with large amounts of rainfall, especially in the south-west, which will see between 40mm and 45mm in the 24 hours to 6pm on Saturday. |
| "Through tomorrow the heavy pulse of rain will push north-eastwards, and it will be patchy across much of England and Wales. | "Through tomorrow the heavy pulse of rain will push north-eastwards, and it will be patchy across much of England and Wales. |
| "It is a really unsettled picture, and over the next few days there will continue to be a pretty wide risk of flooding." | "It is a really unsettled picture, and over the next few days there will continue to be a pretty wide risk of flooding." |
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