Storm Christoph sparks major incident in Cheshire as people evacuated
A major incident has been declared in Cheshire after heavy flooding caused by Storm Christoph forced residents to evacuate.
33 residents living on houseboats at Hayhurst Marina in Northwich were advised to leave due to severe rainfall.
They have been offered alternative accommodation due to concerns the River Weaver may burst its banks.
The Environment Agency has issued two warnings covering stretches of residential homes along the river which are at risk of flooding.
Storm Christoph has sparked travel chaos across the county, with images showing roads and railway tracks clogged with water.
Merseyrail confirmed on Twitter that the heavy rain caused by the storm meant trains were unable to travel safely between Chester and Hooton.
A number of major roads are closed due to being water logged, including the westbound carriageway of the M56 and the northbound carriageway of the M6.
Drivers are being warned to stay at home as residents face being cut off due to impassable routes.
North West Motorway Police tweeted: ‘Rain & standing water is causing numerous issues across the region. Please remember you should only be travelling if it is essential. If you can avoid the roads today please do.’
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said they are currently dealing with numerous flooding incidents across the county due to flooding.
Cheshire Police, who declared the major incident, say this will help them co-ordinate their response with other emergency services.
Superintendent Simon Parsonage from Cheshire Constabulary said: ‘We are working closely with other agencies in the community to monitor the situation and collectively we will do all we can to minimise any disruption across the county and keep people safety.’
It comes after the Met Office issued an amber weather warning for rain in the North West, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands and the East of England.
The Environment Agency said the combination of heavy rain and snow-melt created a ‘volatile situation’.
Thousands of properties are at risk of flooding across the country.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a Cobra crisis meeting on Wednesday after major incidents were also declared in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.
The amber and yellow weather warnings will last until Thursday for the storm, which is also threatening to bring snow to northern areas.
Up to 3,000 properties in Greater Manchester could be affected by flooding, an assistant chief constable has said.
Speaking at an online press briefing, Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said areas of Didsbury, Northenden and Sale near the River Mersey could potentially be affected by flooding, with a peak expected at 11pm on Wednesday.
He said: ‘The worst case scenario, estimated by the Environment Agency, is that it could impact on up to 3,000 properties across all the areas I have mentioned to varying degrees.
‘This is a significant incident in terms of disruption to people and those people have been advised with regard to action to take.’
Downing Street has said Covid-secure facilities will be available for any people forced to evacuate as a result of the weather.
More than 120mm of rain has already fallen in parts of the country, with 123.42mm at Capel Curig in North Wales in the 24 hours up to 2pm on Wednesday.
Crai Reservoir in South Wales saw the second highest total, with 115.6mm, and areas in Glamorgan and Cumbria also topped 100mm over the same period.
Some 70 flood warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency across England, with 192 less severe flood alerts, mainly across the Midlands and north of the country.
People were preparing for rising floodwaters in West Yorkshire on Wednesday morning, with towns in the Calder Valley laying out sandbags and flood wardens monitoring water levels.
Rail services have also been disrupted on the Northern network after tracks flooded.
Met Office forecaster Grahame Madge described Christoph as ‘quite a slow-moving system’ which is bringing ‘a variety of weather’ to the UK.
The meteorologist said: ‘While rain remains the main hazard in the south, further north we’ve got snow and ice remaining a risk.
‘The system will work its way through, we are expecting significant totals of rainfall and when you combine that with snowmelt it can lead to localised flooding across the affected regions.’
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