Babak Belurs

Sabtu, 15 Agustus 2020

UK weather – South England hit by floods & drivers rescued from cars as fortnight’s worth of rain falls in one - The Sun

RESCUE teams had to free drivers from their trapped cars after a fortnight’s worth of rain fell in just one hour in southern England.

Thunderstorms caused disruption to many areas which were hit by flash floods.

Several roads in Bishop's Stortford, Herts,were flooded again todayCredit: BPM Media

Drivers in Chelmsford had trouble on the roads after floodingCredit: Stephen Huntley/HVC

A couple on the beach at West Bay, Dorset, didn't appear to be having much fun as they sheltered from the rainCredit: Alamy Live News

Floods in Chelmsford caused travel chaos for manyCredit: Stephen Huntley/HVC

Chelmsford city centre was flooded out causing staff to evacuate the Meadows Shopping Centre when a fire alarm was triggered during a thunderstorm at round 5pm today.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning earlier today covering a large part of England and all of Wales which stresses through Sunday and into Monday.

Warnings about potential flooding and travel chaos were also issued.

Residents of Chelmsford described the scenes of “carnage” and said “half the city seems to be underwater,” according to Essex Live.

Meanwhile in Bishop's Stortford, rescue crews had to help a driver stuck in flood waters using an emergency rubber dinghy.

Hertfordshire fire service said: “We are currently at an incident in Stanstead Road/ Parsonage Lane area of Bishop Stortford. Please avoid the area as there is heavy flood water.”

Parts of the Marlowes Shopping Centre are underwaterCredit: Kevin Kilford

Heavy rain has drenched Hertfordshire again this morning which has caused many roads to floodCredit: BPM Media

A football pitch seen completely submerged in the town of Hertford after heavy rain fell on FridayCredit: Reuters

Holidaymakers walking next to the harbour shortly after a rain shower at the seaside resort of West Bay in DorsetCredit: Alamy Live News

Shoppers on Bromley High Street were drenched by heavy rain earlier todayCredit: London News Pictures

The Met Office warned that 30 to 40mm of rain could fall in an hour in the South today and the potential for 60 to 90mm in the space of a few hours.

Floods caused havoc in Hertfordshire, Bishops Stortford after multiple roads were submerged in heavy downpours this morning.

Traffic chaos was seen in the town as roads were closed and emergency services scrambled to help drivers, the Hertfordshire Mercury reports.

One picture shows a rescue recovery boat helping a woman to safety as her car sinks into the water.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service urged locals to avoid the area where there is still heavy flood water.

Nearby Hertford was also badly-hit, with pictures showing car parks and football pitches in the area completely submerged yesterday.

FLOOD FEARS

And there are fears that flooding could hit other parts of the country with heavy downpour expected.

The Environment Agency has issued five flood alert warnings across the West Midlands for the weekend.

Neil Davies, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: "Isolated thunderstorms could bring sudden surface water and river flooding, which may lead to flooded properties and severe travel disruption in some areas.

"Further surface water and river flooding is also a possibility until Sunday."

Delays to public transport, difficult driving conditions and possible road closures could follow, while deep and fast floodwater could be a threat to human life.

Further surface water and river flooding is also a possibility until Sunday
Neil Davies, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency

Met Office weather maps show that the South of England will be hit particularly badly this weekend - though heavy showers and thunderstorms will move northwards tomorrow.

Matthew Box, a Met Office forecaster, said: "Saturday will begin mostly cloudy for most areas across the UK but as the day goes on showers will start to break out in the south and south east of England.

"As the day progresses further there's a chance of some rumbles of thunder and potentially some hail and lightning.

"The risk of thunder will start to push further north on Sunday, with central parts of England and Wales facing heavy rain and the chance of flooding."

Holidaymakers shelter under an umbrella to keep dry in the rain as they walk next to the harbour in West BayCredit: Alamy Live News

A shopping cart is seen in a flooded car park after heavy rain, in Hertford on FridayCredit: Reuters

People explore Clifton Observatory as Bristol is hit by rain and fogCredit: Jake McPherson

The A38 in Winscombe was closed after a burst water main caused a sink hole, in which a coach became stuckCredit: PA:Press Association

The weather caused severe delays on the M5 motorway as Brits headed to crowded Devon and Cornwall for a staycationCredit: Alamy Live News

The M25 near Redhill, Surrey has already experienced flash fooding earlier this weekCredit: PA:Press Association

The beach at seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset is busy with holidaymakers on a humid, rainy afternoonCredit: Alamy Live News

Londoners were drenched this afternoon as heavy rain fellCredit: London News Pictures

Shoppers in Bromley High street, South East London get very wet this afternoonCredit: London News Pictures

Hemel Hampstead, in Hertfordshire, was already hit by flooding earlier this weekCredit: BPM Media

It comes after a week of flooding for parts of the UK, causing travel chaos for many Brits.

On Thursday the south was hard hit by heavy rains with the M23 one of many roads affected by the deluge, being temporarily closed in both directions between junctions eight and seven.

Heavy rain which lashed southern England on Thursday afternoon forced parts of the M25 to be closed, while passengers were evacuated from a train which became stuck following a landslide in Kent.

The Environment Agency also has a warning for expected flooding at Winford Brook at Chew Magna, south of Bristol, along with six alerts for possible flooding around Birmingham.

Delays were also experienced on the A38, which was closed in both directions in Winscombe north of the A371 junction overnight after a burst water main caused a sink hole, in which a coach became stuck.

Cars are seen trapped on the M25 earlier this week as heavy downpours hitCredit: BPM Media

The M25 and M23 were closed in both directions due to severe flooding on Thursday eveningCredit: BPM Media

The weather warnings for parts of England and Wales are likely to be in place going into Monday.

In an update this morning, the Met Office added: "Areas of heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to move north across England and Wales during Sunday.

"Some locations within the warning area may miss the thunderstorms altogether, but where they do occur 30 to 40mm of rain may fall in an hour with the potential for 60 to 90mm in a few hours."

They added: "The thunderstorms may be accompanied by large hail, frequent lightning and gusty winds."

Heavy rain drenches the capital this afternoon Credit: London News Pictures

Residents of Perth, Scotland woke up to severe flooding throughout the cityCredit: Alamy Live News

Severe weather hit Aberdeen yesterday with torrential rain that caused serious floodingCredit: www.newsline-media.com

Thunder cracking over Stoke on Trent Credit: Bav Media

Thunder and lightning crashes over Birling Gap in the South DownsCredit: Alamy Live News

Heavy downpours trigger mesmerising whirlpool effect in man's front yard

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2020-08-15 20:53:00Z
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Drivers are rescued from cars, roads submerged and shopping centres evacuated as storms sweep UK - Daily Mail

Drivers are rescued from cars, roads submerged and shopping centres evacuated as thunderstorms sweep Britain on washout weekend with a fortnight’s worth of rain falling in one hour and Red Arrows are forced to cancel commemorative flypast

Met Office issued yellow thunderstorm warning for swathes of England and Wales on Saturday and Sunday
This week brought soaring temperatures - with Thursday seeing highs of 90F (32C) in southern England
But revellers were forced to pack away their barbecues as storms moved in bringing 'biblical rain and hail'

By Katie Feehan For Mailonline

Published: 20:45 BST, 15 August 2020 | Updated: 21:24 BST, 15 August 2020

A shopping centre was evacuated and drivers had to be rescued from their cars as parts of the country were hit by severe flooding after a fortnight's worth of rain fell in just one hour as thunderstorms sweep across the UK.

Chelmsford city centre has been completely flooded forcing staff to evacuate the Meadows Shopping Centre sparking a fire alarm to go off after the city was hit with thunderstorms at about 5pm today.

It comes as the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms across large swathes of England and Wales stretching across the weekend and into most of Monday.

Heavy rain with the risk of thunderstorms is expected to continue over the rest of the weekend, with warnings of potential flooding and travel disruption.

Residents of Chelmsford described scenes of 'carnage' and said 'half the city seems to be underwater' according to Essex Live.

Meanwhile in Bishop's Stortford, rescue crews had to help a driver stuck in flood waters using an emergency rubber dinghy.

A woman is rescued from flooding in Bishop's Stortford. Multiple roads in Bishop's Stortford are suffering from flooding again today.Heavy rain has drenched Hertfordshire again this morning which has caused many roads to flood.

Heavy rain caused roads to flood in Chelmsford, Essex this afternoon

Heavy rain caused roads to flood in Chelmsford, Essex this afternoon.

A driver was left stranded in Stansted Road in Bishop's Stortford as the road has flooded due to heavy rain

Flood water took over this football pitch as the goals show just how much rain has fallen today across Hertfordshire and Essex

Hertfordshire fire service confirmed they attended an incident, adding: 'We are currently at an incident in Stanstead Road/ Parsonage Lane area of Bishop Stortford. Please avoid the area as there is heavy flood water.'

The Met Office issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms across large swathes of England and Wales stretching across the weekend and into most of Monday.

The warning says that spray and sudden flooding caused by the rain may lead to difficult driving conditions or road closures.

The south of England and Wales are likely to be the wettest areas over the whole weekend, with other parts of the country seeing dry and warmer weather.

The Met Office said 24.1mm of rain fell in an hour in Canterbury, Kent, on Saturday, which could lead to some surface flooding.

Becky Mitchell, a meteorologist for the Met Office, said the weekend was a 'messy picture'.

She added: 'The main thing over the next three days is the risk of thunderstorms in the south.

'Saturday night is going to be pretty mild and then Sunday across the south it's a picture of sunshine and showers - those showers could be thundery at times.

'That risk is really within the warning zone - central and southern England and Wales could see some heavy downpours tomorrow.

'Further north it's going to be a bit drier with cloudy skies across the east coast.'

People worked out on the dried-out grass in Wimbledon Common as Saturday morning brought wet, overcast weather

Thunderstorms and torrential downpours are set to sweep across the UK in a three-day deluge. Pictured: People working out on the dried-out grass in Wimbledon Common

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for vast swathes of England and Wales on both Saturday and Sunday - just as thousands of holidaymakers rushed back from France after the country was added to the UK's quarantine list

Bad weather including heavy rain and low cloud caused the cancellation of three commemorative flypasts by the Red Arrows.

The RAF display team had planned to fly over London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast to commemorate 75 years since VJ Day.

However, only the Belfast flypast took place as the other events were cancelled due to the bad weather.

In addition to the rain, forecasters expect the rest of the weekend to be much cooler after a week of hot and humid weather.

The Lake District town of Keswick in Cumbria saw the mercury rise to 24.8C on Saturday.

However, this was milder than much of the week, where temperatures above 34C (93.2F) were recorded for six days in a row.

The south of England and Wales are likely to be the wettest areas, with frequent lightning, gusty winds and heavy downpours with 30 to 40mm of rain possible in less than an hour, according to the Met Office.

Five flood alert warnings have been issued across the West Midlands by the Environment Agency.

Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said: 'Up until Monday, thunderstorm warnings cover much of England and Wales, with parts of southern England and South Wales seeing the greatest likelihood of impacts.

'The storms will not affect all areas, but where they happen there will be frequent lightning, gusty winds and intense, heavy downpours with 30 to 40 millimetres of rain possible in less than an hour and, in a few unlucky spots, a small chance of 60 mm falling in a short period.

The poor weather is only set to continue with flooding (pictured) potentially leading to road closures, while extreme weather may damage buildings and cause power cuts and cancellations to train and bus services

This week brought soaring temperatures (parched grass in Wimbledon Common, pictured) before revellers were forced to pack away their barbecues as storms moved in

Cyclists stop to enjoy the view of Derwentwater near Keswick, in the Lake District as skies remain clear for the time being

The south of England and Wales are likely to be the wettest areas, with frequent lightning, gusty winds and heavy downpours with 30 to 40mm of rain possible in less than an hour, according to the Met Office. Pictured: The Lake District today

A cycling passes a stag in Bushy Park, South West London, as people are allowed back into enjoy the park before the bad weather moves in

A dog jumps in the water on Derwentwater near Keswick, in the Lake District before thunderstorms and heavy rain move in

'With the continuing hot weather, large swathes of the UK continue to be at risk from thunderstorms, and potentially the impacts from heavy rain, into the early part of next week.'

Spokesman Oli Claydon, added: 'The overnight temperatures remaining quite high will mean quite a close, muggy feeling that is in tune with thunderstorms being forecast all the way through to Monday.

'Some areas could see up as much as 40-50mm (1½-2in) of rain in two to three hours [today], with 50-70mm (2-2½in) possible in three hours on Sunday.

A shopping cart is seen in a flooded car park after heavy rain, in Hertford, Hertfordshire, as a car stops before entering the pool yesterday

The M25 was brought to a standstill by floodwater on Thursday, with only one slightly treacherous in use anti-clockwise and a BMW driver forced to abandon their car in the clockwise lane

People were out and about in the heavy rain and mist on Friday morning in Dunsden, Oxfordshire after a night of storms

People sheltering under umbrellas from the rain on Wimbledon Common on Thursday after many days of high temperatures. The forecast is for cooler weather with thunderstorm warnings and flash floods

Thunderstorms and heavy rain have battered parts of the south of England, forcing parts of the M25 and M23 to close for safety reasons on Thursday

'There's continued thunderstorm warnings through to Monday at the moment.'

Saturday's outlook should be bright in the West but with thick cloud coming in from the North Sea in the North East, the Met Office said.

Mr Claydon added: 'One thing to note with this kind of weather is it is important to keep an eye on the forecast as it can change quite quickly.

'The nature of thunderstorms means it is quite tricky to be more specific as to exactly where. We can expect them anywhere in those yellow warning areas.'

Neil Davies, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: 'Isolated thunderstorms could bring sudden surface water and river flooding, which may lead to flooded properties and severe travel disruption in some areas. Further surface water and river flooding is also a possibility until Sunday.'

The weather will be an added kick in the teeth for the thousands of Britons who made a mad dash across the Channel last night in a desperate bid to make it home before the government's 14-day quarantine kicked in at 4am.

Friday morning saw a misty, hazy start after a night of storms over the farmland in the Oxfordshire countryside

There were treacherous conditions on the A14 near Cambridge on Thursday as torrential rain and dark skies made driving hazardous

From 4am onwards, all those arriving from France must quarantine for 14 days after the country reported a spike in coronavirus cases.

The 11th-hour move sparked chaos for an estimated 500,000 British holidaymakers in France - including a couple who forked out £1,000 for business class Eurostar seats and a family who drove for 12 hours to get home.

One mother was forced to leave two of her children behind with her husband when she fled France on the last Eurostar train.

The woman - who had to return to the UK before quarantine began due to her job - was only able to get tickets for herself and her baby.

She now fears her two daughters - who will return on Monday - may not be out of quarantine when their school goes back.

The woman, who did not provide her name, told Sky News: 'This has completely ruined our summer. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I am so upset about this.'

There are also fears that the new rules will cause thousands of children to miss the start of the school year as pupils who do not return to the UK by Tuesday night will still be self-isolating at home when the majority of schools go back on September 2.

But with limited capacity on flights, ferries and the Eurotunnel, many will have no choice but to stay in France – or pay high prices for some of the remaining tickets.

Some tourists had less time to avoid quarantine after the Scottish and Welsh governments demanded the rules be introduced a day earlier.

Meanwhile, France is likely to impose to impose tit-for-tat quarantine restrictions from Monday for people arriving from Britain, meaning British travellers will have to self-isolate on arrival there too.

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2020-08-15 19:45:35Z
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A-level results: Teacher assessments can be used as 'valid' mocks - BBC News

Exams regulator Ofqual has explained what constitutes a "valid" mock exam for the purpose of students appealing against A-level results in England.

Thousands of grades were marked down after a moderation process used in place of this summer's exams.

The regulator says the system had led to many students feeling disappointed and "results which need to be queried".

Ofqual now says where a written mock exam was not taken it will consider other teacher assessments instead.

Neither A-level nor GCSE students were able to sit public exams this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thursday's A-level results saw almost 40% of all grades marked down from teachers' predictions.

Ofqual confirmed appeals using mock results could begin from Monday and would apply for GCSE, AS and A-level students as well as those taking Extended Project Qualifications and Advanced Extension Award in maths.

The government had already announced any school could query a final grade if it was a lower that a student's mock exam.

But with schools shutting down in March, there was a lack of clarity over what constituted a mock exam with some students complaining they did not get a chance to sit one.

'Face-saving exercise'

Ofqual says it will allow a "non-exam assessment mark" as the grounds for an appeal.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, criticised the process, branding it "surreal and bureaucratic".

He said: "This is clearly a face-saving exercise by a government which has said that it won't do a U-turn on its pledge that moderated grades will stand, come what may.

"Instead, it is attempting to remedy the grading fiasco through an appeals process so surreal and bureaucratic that it would be better off at this point doing that U-turn and allowing original teacher-assessed grades, where they are higher, to replace moderated grades."

He added: "We don't blame Ofqual for the bizarre nature of the appeals criteria. The regulator has been given a hospital pass by a Government that is in disarray. It is time for ministers to stop the chaos and fall back on teacher-assessed grades rather than prolong this nightmare."

Ofqual explained in a statement: "This route of appeal is open to any student whose mock grade is higher than their calculated grade. We want to make sure this opportunity is available to a wide range of students, including those who had not taken a written mock exam before schools and colleges closed."

It explained the criteria under which it would accept a "valid mock assessment".

These stipulated that work had to be:

Supervised, unseen and undertaken in conditions intended to secure the work as the student's own
Either past assessments produced by the relevant exam board, or assessments developed by teachers
Taken under timed conditions
Completed before 20 March 2020, when schools and colleges were closed
Marked using a mark scheme provided by the relevant exam board
Graded in line with the exam board's examination standard

Ofqual added that student papers did not need to have been retained.

Labour complained that under the Ofqual criteria, some students would not be able to use their mock results as the basis for an appeal if the assessment did not meet the criteria.

'Devastated'

Shadow education secretary Kate Green said the government appeared to be back-tracking on its "triple lock" promise that students could use the highest result out of their calculated grade, their mock grade or actually sitting the exam in the autumn.

"[Education secretary] Gavin Williamson promised to give students a triple lock, but instead he left many devastated by unfair exam results, and now his commitment to give them another chance is rapidly unravelling," she said.

"Having promised that students will be able to use a valid mock result, the reality is that many will not receive these grades even if they represent a student's best result.

"The latest chaos is the inevitable consequence of this Government's shambolic approach to exams, which saw solutions dreamt up on the back of a cigarette packet and announced barely a day before young people received their results."

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2020-08-15 18:45:00Z
52780998599093

A-level results: Teacher assessments valid as mocks for appeals - BBC News

Exams regulator Ofqual has explained what constitutes a "valid" mock exam for the purpose of students appealing against A-level results in England.

Thousands of grades were marked down after a moderation process used in place of this summer's exams.

The regulator says the system had led to many students feeling disappointed and "results which need to be queried".

Ofqual now says where a written mock exam was not taken it will consider other teacher assessments instead.

Neither A-level nor GCSE students were able to sit public exams this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thursday's A-level results saw almost 40% of all grades marked down from teachers' predictions.

The government had already announced any school could query a final grade if it was a lower that a student's mock exam.

But with schools shutting down in March, there was a lack of clarity over what constituted a mock exam with some students complaining they did not get a chance to sit one.

'Face-saving exercise'

Ofqual says it will allow a "non-exam assessment mark" as the grounds for an appeal.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, criticised the process, branding it "surreal and bureaucratic".

He said: "This is clearly a face-saving exercise by a government which has said that it won't do a U-turn on its pledge that moderated grades will stand, come what may.

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Sabtu, 15 Agustus 2020

UK weather – South England hit by floods & drivers rescued from cars as fortnight’s worth of rain falls in one - The Sun

FLOOD FEARS

HOLIDAY HIT LIST

SHUNNED

MONSTER CAGED

IN THE MONEY

FERRY BAD NEWS

VIRUS HOTSPOTS

Drivers are rescued from cars, roads submerged and shopping centres evacuated as storms sweep UK - Daily Mail

Drivers are rescued from cars, roads submerged and shopping centres evacuated as thunderstorms sweep Britain on washout weekend with a fortnight’s worth of rain falling in one hour and Red Arrows are forced to cancel commemorative flypast

A-level results: Teacher assessments can be used as 'valid' mocks - BBC News

'Face-saving exercise'

'Devastated'

A-level results: Teacher assessments valid as mocks for appeals - BBC News

'Face-saving exercise'