Region hit by storms with bad weather set to continue

Image credit: Niklas Rahmel

Devon has been badly hit by some of the worst weather the country has seen in over 20 years – and more rain is on the way.

Several severe flood warnings had been in place in the county, though they have now ceased, whilst the search for a Devon teenager continues.

Sea fronts, such as Exmouth and Lyme Regis, were given severe weather warnings due to their “low-lying and exposed communities”, according to the Exeter Express and Echo. Copious tidal barriers have been broken by the high tides, some of which have measured up to nine metres high, thus flooding low lying communities.

In Exeter the severe weather temporarily closed the train line to Exmouth due to extreme flooding on the rail tracks. The heavy rain has been accompanied by both hail thunder storms, which have affected signal communicators and has interrupted traffic.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Office have been making the public aware of the dangers, advising drivers to not travel through floodwater and to stay safe. Crashes have occurred on the M5, some taking place within minutes of each other during especially bad weather, although no one has been seriously injured.

This weather has created severe threats to life, with the increasingly bad weather posing safety concerns for South West residents. Two people have reported to have died because of the weather and 18 year old Harry Martin, from Devon, has been missing since Thursday – the search for him continues.

Another Atlantic storm swept into Devon at the weekend, prompting the Met Office to issue a new set of severe weather warnings. It has been predicted that high rain fall and heavy winds will continue to affect the county, with the north being a particular target, over the next 24 hours. This storm will also bring continued high tides which are expected to continue to break over flood barriers in the south-west of the country.

Some forecasters are predicting that flooding will continue for the next few weeks, with coastal areas still at a continued risk.

See our gallery of pictures below, image credits: Niklas Rahmel.

Bea Wood, News Team

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Weekend weather causes havoc in Exeter

Photo credit: Estate Patrol

Adverse weather conditions over the weekend caused road closures in both the St. James’ and Pennsylvania areas of Exeter. Sustained heavy rainfall through Friday night caused the collapse of the embankment which supports the visitors’ stand of St. James’ Park Stadium, while a burst water main on Pennsylvania Road caused an excess of surface water which led to the closure of St. Germans Road for a period on Saturday afternoon.

The collapsed embankment is due to undergo repairs from today, amidst concerns that the collapse, which damaged a student’s car, might threaten Exeter City’s home fixture against Rochdale on Easter Monday. It was feared that the damaged wall might necessitate the closure of the visitor’s stand for the match, but Exeter City’s Chief Executive Julian Tagg is confident that the game will go ahead. Saying that an initial assessment of the damage cooled fears surrounding the fixture, he added that “it is yet another challenge which I have no doubt that the club and supporters will rise to and resolve as they always do.”

Firefighters were called to the scene early on Saturday morning after receiving a call about a collapsed structure with the possibility of people trapped, but the use of thermal imaging and a rescue dog soon showed that no people were hurt in the incident.

Photo credit: Owen Keating

St. Germans Road was also closed on Saturday afternoon after surface water on the road made driving unsafe. Both Maintenance and South West Water staff were on the scene, and the road was soon reopened. Despite warnings to the contrary, Exeposé understands that local water supply was not disrupted.

The weather outlook for Exeter is unlikely to improve this week, with freezing temperatures predicted up until Good Friday, when sleet is expected to create hazardous driving conditions that should last throughout the Easter weekend.

Owen Keating, News Editor

Falling tree claims life in Exeter

A woman aged 21 died last night after being crushed by a falling tree in Exeter.

The incident occurred on a patch of Western Way, close to the junction with Barnfield Road, at about 11:30PM on Saturday night. Two other people were also injured after the large spruce tree fell onto the pavement and into the road.

Photo credits to Brian Garwood @Actual Colour

Once police arrived on the scene, three people were declared injured, with one in a critical condition. A short time after being taken to the hospital, the female was declared deceased.

Inspector Andrew Webber explained that the woman had been living in a small tent close to the wall by the roadside, when the tree fell on it.

Speaking to Sky News, Webber said: “It was a very large oak tree that had been there for very many years. Obviously we’ve had lots of heavy weather, it’s been raining an awful lot, and the tree for whatever reason came down.

“It’s taken a wall with it when it came down and then on top of that the tent was underneath and the tree has fallen on to the tent.

“There are two males involved with minor injuries and obviously a poor lady of 21 who received fatal injuries at the time.”

He said officers were on the scene, but that she died “almost instantaneously”.

Police are spending today (Sunday) carrying out a daylight investigation of the scene.

This morning, Prime Minister David Cameron spoke of his shock at the flooding which has hit Exeter and the rest of the South West. Speaking on Twitter, Mr Cameron said: “Shocking scenes of flooding. Govt will help ensure everything is being done to help.”

Meanwhile, traders at the Quay are doing everything they can to protect their businesses, after water levels dramatically rose over night. Heavy rain is expected to resume at 3PM today.

Tom Payne, Editor 

 

The calm before the storm – Exeter braced for floods

Photo credits to Tom Payne

Forecasters have given Exeter a severe weather warning for the weekend.

Latest predictions suggest no let-up in the heavy rain which has caused major disruption across the region. Parts of the Forum flooded this evening, and there are signs it could get worse.

The Met Office, Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency are predicting possible travel disruption and flooding – adding that some areas may see up to 60mm on top of the rain which has fallen over the past 24 hours.

Paul Gundersen, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, said: “There has been some torrential rain and squally winds on Thursday as a cold front moved across the UK, but another deep depression developing off Iberia will head towards us for the weekend. This is expected to bring more heavy rain and strong to gale force winds to many parts of the country. We urge everyone to keep up to date with forecasts and warnings and be prepared for what the weather will bring.”

Reports suggest Campus Services have confirmed that flooded areas of the Forum will close “for a few days” after the torrential rain began to leak into the library and Alumni Auditorium, forcing one lecture to be abandoned.

Tweet us your flood pictures: @Exepose

By Tom Payne, Editor

Updated: Forum floods

The Library and the Alumni Auditorium have flooded this evening, as heavy rainfall continues to sweep across Exeter.

Photo: Joshua Irwandi

An area of Level -1 has been cordoned off after rain started to seep through the ceiling. Campus services have used tarpaulins to protect books from damage, as pools of water deepen. Campus services assured Exeposé that the situation is being “managed”.

They added : “The sheer amount of water seeping in through the ceilings is because of the torrential rain. Normal service to these buildings will resume in a few days.”

The Alumni Auditorium has also flooded, causing a lecture to be abandoned.

Heavy rain has hampered travel services across Devon, and many train services to and from Exeter have been cancelled. The Express & Echo are reporting that a number of roads have been closed due to excessive flooding.

The deluge has also forced the organisers of tonight’s Christmas lights switch-on to reschedule the highly anticipated event.

Are you in the library? Tweet us your pictures and thoughts: @Exepose

Tom Payne, Editor