Minggu, 27 Desember 2020

UK weather: Bank holiday snow and ice warnings for much of UK as flood threat remains - Sky News

Snow and ice warnings are in place for much of the UK heading into the bank holiday, including as far south as London, as vast swathes of the country are braced for a cold snap in the aftermath of Storm Bella.

It comes as around 100 flood warnings remain in force in England, along with 190 less serious flood alerts.

Snow had already fallen in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, including in the Peak District in Derbyshire, by Sunday afternoon.

Snow in Killin, Stirlingshire, on Sunday
Image: Snow in Killin, Stirlingshire

The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning until 10am on Monday for more snow and ice across most of Scotland, Northern Ireland and large parts of northern England and North Wales.

And there is a second such warning for snow and ice on Monday until 6pm across all of Wales and some of the remaining parts of England from the Midlands, down towards the south coast.

Up to 5-10cm of snow is possible in some areas of higher ground.

The forecasters' advice warns of the potential for injuries from icy surfaces and delays to trains and road transport.

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The first warning said: "A band of rain, sleet and snow followed by wintry showers will move south across western and central parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Sunday evening and then into parts of northern England and north Wales early on Monday morning.

"Localised accumulations of 1-3 cm are possible to lower levels but higher accumulations are likely over higher ground. Above 250 metres, accumulations of 5-10cm are possible.

"Skies are expected to clear from the north overnight and widespread ice is likely to develop and persist through to Monday morning, especially across central and eastern areas."

Snow and ice warnings for much of UK
Image: The Met Office's snow and ice warnings cover much of the UK

The second warning said: "An area of rain is likely to move south through Sunday night and Monday across parts of England and Wales. There is the potential for this to turn to snow for a time.

"There is a lot of uncertainty in where snow develops with some areas seeing little or no accumulations.

"However, there is a very low likelihood of 1-3cm, and locally 5-10cm falling in a few places, particularly over higher ground of Wales above 200 metres. As well as snow, widespread ice may also be an issue, especially where treatment has been washed off road surfaces."

Snow on Bleaklow Moor in the Peak district of Derbyshire
Image: Snow on Bleaklow Moor in the Peak District in Derbyshire

The chilly temperatures follow several days of extreme weather over the Christmas period, which saw severe flooding in parts of southern England before Storm Bella arrived on Boxing Day, with winds of more than 100mph.

The top wind speed was recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight, where it reached 106mph overnight on Saturday.

Aberdaron in northwest Wales had gusts of 83mph, and areas on the south coast of England - including Dorset - got close to 80mph.

Snow on Bleaklow Moor in the Peak district of Derbyshire
Image: Hikers pictured in the Peak District

Sky News weather presenter Steff Gaulter said: "The showers will continue across Ireland and western Britain on Monday, pushing across the south of England as well.

"Some places will see snow and everywhere will feel cold, particularly in the brisk winds in the west.

"Eastern areas will see the best of the sunshine, but even here a few showers are likely to graze the coast at times."

Further into the week and towards the New Year, the Met Office says conditions will remain cold with sunshine and the possibility of wintry showers.

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Drone shots show flooding in Bedford

As of 8pm on Sunday, around 100 flood warnings remained in place across England calling for immediate action as flooding was expected, alongside almost 200 flood alerts.

There were also several flood warnings and alerts in Wales.

High water from the River Ouse in the village of Harrold in Bedfordshire
Image: The River Ouse has caused flooding in the village of Harrold in Bedfordshire

At 12.37am on Sunday, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service used a boat to rescue two men and two dogs from a vehicle stuck in flowing floodwater in Hawes.

In Aysgarth, a man and woman were also rescued by boat from the roof of their car at 2.40am after they drove into deep floodwater.

Parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire have also been badly affected, with some people forced to evacuate their homes due to the floods.

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2020-12-27 21:36:44Z
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Arctic blast to blanket large swathes of UK with snow after Storm Bella - Metro.co.uk

Fresh snow covers Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe, Scotland. PA Photo. Picture date: Sunday December 27, 2020. Storm Bella continues to bring severe gales and heavy rain to the UK and Ireland with winds of up to 70mph in exposed coastal locations of the UK and with heavy rainfall in Wales and south-west England. See PA story WEATHER Bella. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire
A cold snap is on its way (PA)

The UK will experience a cold snap over the next few days.

An Arctic blast will blanket large swathes of the country with snow after Storm Bella caused havoc on Boxing Day with winds of more than 100mph.

The Met Office has put in place a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across most of Scotland and parts of northern England and north Wales for Sunday.

By Monday, a second yellow warning for snow and ice is in place across all of Wales and some of the remaining parts of England from the Midlands down towards the south coast.

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The warning, in place from midnight until 6pm on Monday, cautions of the potential for injuries from icy surfaces and delays to trains and road transport.

Snow already fell in Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, on Sunday.

Fresh snow covers Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe, Scotland. PA Photo. Picture date: Sunday December 27, 2020. Storm Bella continues to bring severe gales and heavy rain to the UK and Ireland with winds of up to 70mph in exposed coastal locations of the UK and with heavy rainfall in Wales and south-west England. See PA story WEATHER Bella. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire
Fresh snow covers Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe, Scotland (PA)
A car is stuck on a snowy road near Newby Head, North Yorkshire, with the UK expecting more wintry weather ahead of the first weekend of December, with warnings in place for ice and snow. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday December 3, 2020. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
A car is stuck on a snowy road near Newby Head, North Yorkshire (PA)

The chilly conditions will follow several days of wintery weather over the Christmas period which brought flooding and high winds.

As of 4:30pm on Sunday, more than 102 flood warnings remained in place across England calling for immediate action as flooding was expected, alongside almost 200 flood alerts.

While the top wind speed was recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight where it reached 106mph overnight.

MOULIN Snow sits on a red telephone box after snowfall in Moulin, Scotland, Britain December 3, 2020. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
A telephone box after snowfall in Moulin, Scotland (Reuters)

Aberdaron in north-west Wales experienced gusts of 83mph, and locations on the south coast of England, including Dorset, got close to 80mph.

Trees and trampolines were strewn across roads in southern England, which had been subjected to a stronger amber weather warning for wind overnight.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick urged people to check Government advice, such as from the Environment Agency, who have asked people to keep away from ‘swollen rivers and flooded land’.

A statement on their website said: ‘It is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2020-12-27 19:37:00Z
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Verhofstadt MOCKED for anti-Brexit dig as Boris launches 'superior' Turing programme - Daily Express

Although the UK and EU finally agreed on a Brexit deal, the MEP could not resist a final taunt aimed towards Britain. Boris Johnson announced the UK will not continue its participation in the European Erasmus programme. Instead, the UK will launch its own £100million Turing scheme aimed at providing support for thousands of students from September 2021.

Despite the bumper new scheme launched by the UK Government, the Irish government has announced it will support Northern Irish students wanting to participate in the Erasmus+ scheme.

Mr Verhofstadt said in response to the news: "Praise for the Irish Government for keeping the Erasmus programme alive for young people in Northern Ireland."

However, many were quick to defend the new Turing scheme despite Mr Vehrofstadt's claim.

One person said: "The Turing Scheme is superior in every way, funding far more British places, with more and vastly better universities and helping poorer young people."

Another said: "No EU university is in the top 20 worldwide."

A third said: "How much is that going to cost the Irish at the expense of their young people?"

A fourth said: "The Turing scheme means the world is their oyster, not just Europe.

"Besides European universities are crap."

JUST IN: Let it go! Desperate Remainers to hold 12-hour vigil to mourn Brexit

"These opportunities will benefit both our students and our employers, as well as strengthening our ties with partners across the world."

Under an arrangement with the Irish government, Northern Irish universities will remain part of the Erasmus scheme.

The scheme will cost the government £1.9million a year in order to help students journey to European countries.

Approximately 649 students and staff from Northern Ireland participated in the scheme last year. 

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2020-12-27 18:34:00Z
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COVID-19: AstraZeneca teases 'winning formula' for Oxford jab, but WHO warns vaccines alone won't end pandemic - Sky News

People are being warned that COVID-19 immunity will "take time to build", despite the boss of AstraZeneca announcing that scientists working on the Oxford vaccine have found a "winning formula".

With a new variant of coronavirus surging across the UK, England has already been put on notice for a New Year lockdown after the government's chief scientific adviser warned that an extension of Tier 4 restrictions may be needed.

Sir Patrick Vallance warned ahead of Christmas that because the new variant is more transmissible, "it's likely that measures will need to be increased in some places, in due course, not reduced".

The next review of the tier system is due on Wednesday.

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Europe begins COVID vaccine rollout

World Health Organisation spokesperson Dr Margaret Harris told Sky News that the rollout of vaccines may well be a "turning point".

But she added a reminder that everyone will need two doses of a vaccine - weeks apart - and that it will "take time to build up that immunity for all of us".

The promise of a return to normal, via the jabs, will only be "fulfilled", Dr Harris said, if we "keep on doing all the other things to stop the transmission of the virus", such as avoiding gathering in unventilated spaces, wearing masks, and washing hands.

More from Covid-19

She also said it is "critical to understand" that even though you may not have any symptoms, you could still be carrying COVID-19.

It was previously revealed that trials of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have shown an efficacy rate of 90% when people were given half a dose followed by a whole dose at least a month later.

But when two full doses were given at least a month apart, the vaccine had an efficacy of 62% - meaning that, when all the results were taken into account, the overall efficacy was 70%.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were shown to be 95% and 94.5% effective respectively.

But Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, told The Sunday Times: "We think we have figured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everybody else."

He added: "I can't tell you more because we will publish at some point."

Such an improvement would be a relief to the government, which has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, with around 40 million expected to be available by the end of March.

Mr Soriot said the earlier results had been seen by the pharmaceutical company as "positive", adding: "They meet the criteria established by regulators around the world.

"We assumed people would be a bit disappointed, that's for sure, but we didn't expect that storm."

His comments follow reports that the vaccine could be approved in the coming days. According to The Sunday Telegraph, distribution could begin as early as 4 January.

It is relatively cheap and can be stored at normal fridge temperature. Sky News understands it will be a little under £3 per dose.

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Pope urges countries to share COVID vaccines

Dr Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said: "It looks really promising and it also looks very deliverable.

"We have huge optimism that this is a major part of how we can control the current surge."

He added that the global impact of this vaccine could be "much greater" than others and that it could "greatly accelerate" the UK's current vaccination programme.

Responding to Sunday's reports, the government said that the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) must be given time to review the vaccine data.

"The medicines regulator is reviewing the final data from the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca phase three clinical trials to determine whether the vaccine meets their strict standards of quality, safety and effectiveness," it said.

"We must now give the MHRA the time to carry out its important work and we must wait for its advice."

ANALYSIS: Oxford/AstraZeneca jab still has one disadvantage
By Rowland Manthorpe, technology correspondent

When it comes to rollout, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has three big advantages over the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. First, it's cheap, roughly a fifth of the price. Second, it does not need to be stored at temperatures as low as the other vaccines, making it much easier to distribute.

The other advantage is specific to the UK - we have lots of it.

The government has secured 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, compared to 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and seven million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

What's more, the UK can get access to it quickly, a crucial factor when every day's delay means more time in lockdown.

Yet there is also a disadvantage - the data from the Oxford/AstraZeneca trial has not been as clear as the data from the Pfizer one, which is most likely why approval has been delayed.

Comments by the chief executive of AstraZeneca suggests regulators have been given fresh data, but it is not clear that this information would support plans like the one suggested by Tony Blair, which involve giving children one dose, nor that it will be as efficacious as the other vaccines.

Put another way, there is still some uncertainty about the Oxford vaccine.

Hopefully that will be cleared up soon, but until it is, we should be wary about counting on it returning life to normal.

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2020-12-27 16:54:18Z
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After Storm Bella, parts of the UK are covered in beautiful snow - and there's more to come - Daily Mail

Winter wonderland! As parts of the country are battered by Storm Bella, other areas are covered in beautiful snow - and there's more to come in the next few days

  • A yellow weather warning for ice and snow is in place across Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and parts of northern Wales until Monday
  • Parts of the country including Scotland and Cumbria have already had snow
  • The snowfall comes as Storm Bella lashed the UK with high winds and heavy rain

More snow is set to fall in the UK as the Met Office issues warnings across the country hours after Storm Bella hit.

Parts of the UK were already blanketed on Sunday despite Bella brining high winds and heavy rain overnight.

The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for ice and snow across Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and parts of north Wales.

The warnings - which mean 'be prepared' - come into effect at 3pm today and are due to remain in place until 6pm on Monday, with a band of rain, sleet and up to two inches of snow set to fall.

Snow and sleet is a possibility in Scotland from Sunday morning, and will move south throughout the day, bringing the risk of ice and bad driving conditions.

Snow is set to fall in the UK as the Met Office issues warnings across the country hours after Storm Bella hit. Pictured: A snow plough travels along the A82 in Glencoe, Scotland on Sunday

Snow is set to fall in the UK as the Met Office issues warnings across the country hours after Storm Bella hit. Pictured: A snow plough travels along the A82 in Glencoe, Scotland on Sunday

Parts of the UK were already blanketed on Sunday despite Bella brining high winds and heavy rain overnight. Pictured: Red deer enjoying the snow at Glencoe, Scotland

Parts of the UK were already blanketed on Sunday despite Bella brining high winds and heavy rain overnight. Pictured: Red deer enjoying the snow at Glencoe, Scotland

Much further south in Scotland, Killin in Stirlingshire was also covered with snow on Sunday

Much further south in Scotland, Killin in Stirlingshire was also covered with snow on Sunday

Glencoe was covered in a thick blanket of snow while much further south people were also out clearing drives in parts of Stirlingshire in the Central Belt on Sunday morning. 

Nenthead in Cumbria was similarly wintry, with snow covering the hills of the village.

Through Sunday evening and into Monday, meteorologists are warning the snow and ice could also pose a risk to more central and southern areas of England. 

Further into the week and towards the New Year conditions will remain cold with sunshine and the possibility of wintry showers, the Met Office said, adding that rail journeys may be affected and roads are likely to be icy.

The Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice in Scotland and northern parts of England and wales on Saturday
The Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice across the UK on Monday

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for ice and snow across Scotland, northern England, Northern Ireland and parts of north Wales. It is due to in place until Monday, with a band of rain, sleet and up to two inches of snow set to fall

It warned that ice is likely to form on untreated surfaces within the warning area on Sunday following the heavy rain from Storm Bella, while colder weather in Scotland will turn showers to snow. 

On Monday, as rainfall moves south across England and parts of Wales, the rain may turn to snow, the Met Office said.

It added that there was a likelihood of 1-3cm or even 5-10cm of snowfall in some places. 

While skies are expected to clear overnight on Sunday, the ice is likely to remain. 

In Cumbria, Nenthead had a sprinkling of snow on Sunday amid warnings of more to come

In Cumbria, Nenthead had a sprinkling of snow on Sunday amid warnings of more to come

The snow lay on the fields around the Cumbrian village of Nenthead, creating a wintry scene

The snow lay on the fields around the Cumbrian village of Nenthead, creating a wintry scene

The snow came as winds caused by Storm Bella reached more than 100mph overnight, while rain lashed the UK. 

Two threat to life flood warnings remain in place in Northamptonshire after days of wintry weather across the Christmas break, with a cold snap with icy and wintry conditions still to come. 

People in areas that have suffered major flooding in recent days are among those who can expect snow, The Sun reported.

The top wind speed was recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight where it reached 106mph overnight on Saturday.

As well as the stormy conditions, temperatures will stay frosty in some parts into next week, prompting health professionals to offer advice on how to keep safe in colder weather.

Dr Ishani Kar-Purkayastha, consultant in public health at Public Health England said: 'Heat your home to at least 18C if you can, particularly if you have reduced mobility, are 65 and over, or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease.' 

Storm Bella follows relatively calm and cold conditions across the UK on Friday, which saw a white Christmas for some more northerly parts of the country.  

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2020-12-27 14:24:00Z
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Boris Johnson admits Brexit deal is limited for financial services - Financial Times

Boris Johnson has admitted that the Brexit trade deal failed to meet his ambitions on financial services, as Brussels signalled that the City of London must wait until after January 1 to learn what market access it will have in future.

The Johnson government intends to set out its plans for how to use Britain’s new regulatory freedom to diverge from the bloc’s rules — including on financial services — but has yet to provide details. The two sides’ new trading relationship will take effect on January 1, assuming the treaty is passed by the UK parliament next week and EU approval processes proceed smoothly.

Mr Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph that the 1,200 page treaty “perhaps does not go as far as we would like” on financial services. But the prime minister added there were provisions for some parts of the services sector, including “access for solicitors, barristers” and a “good deal for digital”.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that the UK would seek to “do things a bit differently” on financial services after it had left the single market but added he was hopeful both parties would work together.

“This deal also provides reassurance because there’s a stable regulatory co-operative framework mentioned in the deal,” he told journalists. “I think that will give people that reassurance that we will remain in close dialogue with our European partners when it comes to things like equivalence decisions.”

But Brussels has made clear the UK will need to wait until after January 1 to learn what market access rights its financial services companies will have in future, warning that they will hinge on how far Britain diverges from EU standards.

“A series of further clarifications will be needed [from Britain], in particular regarding how the UK will diverge from EU frameworks after 31 December,” the European Commission said in an explanatory document on the trade deal issued on December 24.

“For these reasons, the Commission cannot finalise its assessment . . . and therefore will not take decisions at this point in time. The assessments will continue,” it said. 

The EU and UK have agreed that decisions on access to each others’ markets in financial services will be based on each side declaring unilaterally that the other side’s regulatory systems are “equivalent” to its own. 

The equivalence system — which Brussels already uses with other non-EU financial centres — does not cover all financial services and allows access rights to be withdrawn at just 30-days’ notice.

But Brussels’ refusal to take decisions now means that Britain is set to begin its new relationship with the EU with fewer equivalence rights in place than other financial centres, such as New York and Singapore, meaning the UK will have to rely on more cumbersome and limited access arrangements.

Britain granted the EU rights in a number of areas in November, but Brussels has only taken decisions concerning temporary rights in areas deemed vital to financial stability, such as access for European banks to UK clearinghouses.

Brussels will grant equivalence rights “when they are in the EU’s interest,” the bloc said in its December 24 statement.

The UK had hoped to secure provisions in its trade deal that would add more stability to the equivalence system. It wanted to at least replicate provisions in the EU’s deal with Japan, which foresee consultations and advance warning before equivalence is withdrawn.

But according to EU officials this was rejected out of concern that the UK would make it as hard as possible for Brussels to revoke equivalence.

Instead, the two sides will hold talks in early 2021 aimed at drafting a memorandum of understanding on future co-operation on financial services policy, with the aim of agreeing a text by March. However, the memorandum would not have the same legal force as an international treaty.

“This agreement was never going to do much in terms of financial market access,” said Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform. “It’s less than [what is] in the EU’s Canada and Japan agreements,” he added.

Britain’s financial industry still hopes for a closer relationship with the EU in future. After the deal was announced, Bob Wigley, executive chair of the trade body UK Finance, said: “It will be important to build on the foundations of this trade deal by strengthening arrangements for future trade in financial services.” 

Mr Johnson said the UK would seek to make the most of its regulatory freedom to develop other parts of the economy. “We can’t sort of suddenly decide that we’re free and then not decide how to exercise it. This government has a very clear agenda to unite and level up and to spread opportunity across the country,” he said.

Additional reporting by Philip Stafford



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2020-12-27 13:45:00Z
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UK weather: 'Immediate action' flood warnings, winds topping 100mph... and snow arriving - Sky News

Huge swathes of the UK are continuing to battle floods after Storm Bella brought driving rain and winds - and the onslaught isn't ending, with warnings of snow and ice ahead for as far south as London.

Pictures from Killin in Stirlingshire on Sunday showed some snow had already settled on the streets and surrounding hills.

In England, more than a hundred "immediate action" flood warnings are in place, after winds of over 70mph hit southern coasts overnight.

There has been some "fairly major weather", Sky News presenter Jo Wheeler said, adding that torrential rain brought by Storm Bella had created an extra risk of flooding.

Flooded pedestrian areas in Worcester on Sunday
Image: Flooded pedestrian areas in Worcester on Sunday

In North Yorkshire, fire crews rescued a number of people from vehicles stranded in floodwater overnight.

At 12.37am on Sunday, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service used a boat to rescue two men and two dogs from a vehicle stuck in flowing floodwater in Hawes.

In Aysgarth, a man and woman were also rescued by boat from the roof of their car at 2.40am after they drove into deep floodwater.

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In the south, Great Western Railway said all trains between Bournemouth and Southampton Central were stopped because of water on the line.

One of the major lines into London was blocked when a tree fell on to the tracks in Haslemere, Surrey.

Parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire have also been badly affected, with some people forced to evacuate their homes due to the floods.

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Drone shots show flooding in Bedford

On Saturday night, a maximum wind speed of 106mph (170kmh) was recorded at the Needles lighthouse on the Isle of Wight.

Aberdaron in north Wales saw gusts of up to 83mph (133kmh), while winds reached the mid-70s in many southern coastal areas.

Wheeler said there would be "ongoing impacts from Storm Bella as rivers continue to rise", with 115 "immediate action required" flood warnings in place across England on Sunday morning.

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Caravan site residents forced to sleep in their cars

Two severe "danger to life" flood warnings are also in force in Northamptonshire - at Cogenhoe Mill caravan site and on the River Nene near Billing Aquadrome.

The wild weather should ease however. A Met Office amber warning for wind, covering Wales and southern England, ended at 9am on Sunday.

Rain should also clear through the morning and winds will become lighter from the west.

High water from the River Ouse in the village of Harrold in Bedfordshire
Image: The River Ouse has also caused flooding in the village of Harrold in Bedfordshire
Swans swim in flood water in Worcester
Image: Swans swim in flood water in Worcester

Looking ahead, the Met Office has three yellow warnings for snow and ice for Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, covering two different time periods, until 10am on Monday.

Scotland is likely to see "persistent rain, sleet and snow" on Sunday evening, with 5 to 10cm of snow by Monday morning on higher ground, and up to 3cm at lower levels.

There could also be a slight covering of snow for the Chilterns, the Cotswolds and possibly the Salisbury plains.

Later on Monday, rain, sleet and snow will move across the Midlands towards the London area.

The Environment Agency has asked people to keep away from swollen rivers and flooded land, while Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick urged people to heed their advice.

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2020-12-27 12:45:00Z
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