Trapped shoppers are forced to spend the night in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre as torrential rain causes flood chaos with more families evacuated from their homes overnight and 116 warnings still in place
- Customers sleep on benches while restaurant workers use aprons as pillows at Meadowhall in Sheffield
- Firefighters use boats to rescue shoppers stranded at Parkgate mall in Rotherham amid severe flooding
- Major incident in Sheffield as Environment Agency issues 121 flood alerts and 117 warnings for England
- 35 homes evacuated in Mansfield after mudslide and residents of areas of Doncaster also leave homes
Dozens of trapped shoppers and staff were forced to spend the night in a shopping centre after torrential rain caused flooding chaos on the roads outside – and others were evacuated from their homes following a mudslide.
Customers slept on benches while restaurant workers used their aprons as pillows at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, while firefighters used boats to rescue others stranded at the Parkgate mall in nearby Rotherham.
A major incident was declared in Sheffield as the Environment Agency issued 121 flood alerts and 117 more serious flood warnings for England, with the risk not expected to pass for many areas for several days to come.
Staff at Meadowhall handed out free drinks and tried to arrange taxis to help customers – including families with babies – while others bought pyjamas from a Primark which opened late and a Starbucks gave out free cookies.
Some 35 homes were evacuated in Mansfield after a mudslide, while regions across England were hit by traffic chaos amid road closures – with more of the same in this morning’s rush hour after a further deluge overnight.
Rail operator Northern has issued ‘do not travel’ advice for passengers using five lines – Sheffield to Gainsborough, Sheffield to Lincoln, Sheffield to Goole, Hebden Bridge to Rochdale, and Sheffield to Leeds via Moorthorpe.
Sheffield has had 82mm (3.2in) of rain since Wednesday evening, above its November average of 79mm (3.1in).
Doncaster Council warned some people to leave their homes because the River Don is breaching its banks near St Oswald Church at Kirk Sandall, tweeting: ‘Residents in these areas are advised to evacuate immediately.’
James Timpson, the chief executive of Timpson, the shoe repairs and key cutting high street firm, has said its shops in Worksop in Nottinghamshire, are under water following the heavy rain and will be closed until next week.
People were forced to spend the night at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield following severe flooding overnight
Jo Aldred tweeted a thank you to Nandos at Meadowhall, saying the restaurant ‘fed my 15-year-old who made the journey for the light switch on and was stuck in Meadowhall last night without any money for a meal – I cannot thank you enough’
People are picture in sleeping bags overnight after the severe flooding surrounded Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield
A car sits in floodwater near Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield today after some people had to spend the night inside
A lorry drives through floodwater near Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield today after the flooding chaos last night
Police activity near Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield today following the major incident declared in the city
A car sits in floodwater near Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield today where people were forced to stay overnight
A police officer mans a roadblock near Meadowhall in Sheffield today after some people were forced to stay overnight
A sign shows cancelled trains at a station close to the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield early this morning
Although the Met Office has predicted the flooding rains will clear and move south-east by lunchtime, hundreds of people were kept inside Meadowhall overnight due to flooded roads and gridlocked traffic outside.
Jodie Whelan, 23, who works at the Disney store at Meadowhall, said staff were handing out free drinks and trying to arrange taxis. She got in for her shift by bus but said that getting back home was ‘an absolute no-go’.
She told the BBC: ‘The atmosphere is very weird but communal. Some people got a bit rowdy and it was upsetting seeing some older people and people with babies or children, but thankfully we are all warm and safe.’
Luke Turner, who works at a restaurant at the centre, said he could not drive home so went to bed in the stockroom where he could use ‘aprons’ as a pillow. He told the BBC: ‘I’ve got options, I could have got a taxi home.
‘But that still leaves me having to get a taxi back to work tomorrow. I had an offer from my higher management that if I could get a hotel room for the night… but unfortunately all the hotel rooms around me are full.’
Meadowhall, which also flooded in 2007, had to cancel its Christmas Live event at the last minute yesterday evening, but only after many of the thousands of people expected to attend had arrived.
Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield was put on lockdown overnight after all the roads surrounding it were submerged
The now-overflowing River Don overnight, which is next to the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire
The Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield is pictured overnight next to the River Don which is close to bursting its banks
Hundreds of people were kept inside Meadowhall Shopping centre near Sheffield due to gridlocked traffic outside (pictured, flooding outside the shopping centre on Thursday evening)
The Meadowhall centre cancelled its Christmas Live event last night which was expected to be attended by thousands
Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called to Bank End Close alongside the fire service following the mudslide
In Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, residents were evacuated from 35 homes following a mudslide caused by heavy rain last night
While many of those inside managed to leave despite a partially flooded car park, some were forced to spend the night in the shopping centre, according to police.
With many surrounding routes flooded and trams stopping short of the complex due to ‘heavy rain putting the Tinsley tram bridge at risk’, gridlock led to police advising shoppers and concert goers to stay in the building.
South Yorkshire Police told of ‘significant issues’ in Doncaster, with Bentley, Toll Bar and Scawthorpe the worst affected areas. The River Don was badly hit, having flooded the Rotherham railway station and other areas.
As this morning, the Environment Agency had three severe ‘danger to life’ warnings in place relating to the river at Kirk Bramwith, South Bramwith and the Willow Bridge caravan site, all in Doncaster.
Northern Rail said it expected ‘severe disruption’ to its network, with services unable to run between Sheffield and Gainsborough Central or Lincoln Central.
Services have also been suspended between Sheffield and Leeds via Moorthorpe following the deluge. Police were also called to Parkgate in Rotherham last night after shoppers were trapped inside due to flood waters.
A studio owned by artist Liz Churton is destroyed by flood water yesterday as water levels rise in Whiston near Sheffield
A snow plough on the A939 road from Cockbridge to Tomintoul in Scotland clears ice yesterday to prevent travel chaos
Emergency services rushed to Mansfield just before 5pm yesterday following reports of concerns for the safety of residents
Traffic on the A939 Cockbridge to Tomintoul road on Thursday amid snowfall in parts of the Scottish Highlands
A BMW driver gets stuck trying to drive through deep flood water as it rises in the village of Whiston near Sheffield yesterday
South Yorkshire Police tweeted that they were working to move ‘a number of people’ who were stranded in the complex to ‘a place of safety’, with boats called into action to help those inside escape.
The highest rainfall in the country yesterday was recorded at Swineshaw in the Peak District, which had 112mm (4.4in) in the 24 hours to 2am.
‘There were a lot of other places that had 80mm or more, especially in Yorkshire,’ the Met Office said. ‘The rains should clear by lunchtime, with a fine weekend ahead, but the flood warnings will stay in place for quite a while.’
Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called to Bank End Close in Mansfield alongside the fire service and Mansfield District Council just before 5pm yesterday following concerns for the safety of people living there.
Some of the most dramatic scenes were in Sheffield and Rotherham where a number of roads were left impassable to traffic, with cars stranded in floodwater and gridlock resulting on many routes.
Houses were evacuated after becoming inundated in Whiston, near Rotherham. And in Sheffield, the council closed Millhouses Park, where a 14-year-old boy was swept to his death in the River Sheaf in the floods of 2007.
A man wades through a flooded street in Sheffield yesterday, carrying shopping bags and what looks like a car jump lead
A car drives through a flooded road near the village of Bubnell in Derbyshire yesterday morning following days of heavy rain
Residents try to get back to their severely flooded homes as raging flood water rises in Whiston near Sheffield yesterday
Homes are severely flooded as raging flood water rises in the village of Whiston near Sheffield yesterday
Heavy rain has hit parts of England overnight, causing widespread flooding including in Whiston near Sheffield yesterday
Homes are severely flooded as raging flood water rises in the village of Whiston near Sheffield yesterday
The stone cottage in Whiston near Sheffield is flooded as water leaks in through the window joints yesterday
This car made slow progress along a flooded road in Dore, Derbyshire, yesterday after the area was hit by torrential rain
This Mercedes V-class powered through a flood on the A621 near Baslow, Derbyshire, yesterday afternoon
Further north, concerns were growing in the Calder Valley as river levels began to rise on Thursday. Precautionary flood barriers were put in place in Mytholmroyd, which was badly hit in the 2015 Boxing Day floods.
Chris Wilding, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: ‘Heavy rain could lead to surface water and river flooding across parts of northern England today and into tomorrow, particularly in parts of Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
‘Persistent showers may also bring localised river and surface water flooding to parts of southern England. Our incident rooms are open and we are working closely with local authorities and partners to reduce the risk of flooding.
‘Our field teams are ready to deploy temporary flood barriers to help protect people and property if needed. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.’
PhD student Liz Churton, 58, has lost sentimental paintings, art equipment, books and furniture after her basement studio flooded in the space of an hour this morning from 9am.
Her property in the village of Whiston now looks like a ‘floating boathouse’ after water came rushing through the doors of her basement.
Ms Churton, who has lived in the house for around 15 years, said: ‘I was in the house making a cup of tea and got a phone call from the Environment Agency saying there is a flood alert.
‘I had an hour to move as much as I possibly could upstairs. I thought I would have more time but by 10am I was wading through and it was up to my knees.
‘The water came rushing through the basement doors which lead up to the garden. The flood boards kept it at bay for a time but gave in.
‘The whole of my basement is flooded and I have a studio down there. It’s a couple of metres deep and the house looks like a boathouse. I’m currently looking out of my window at a very wide river moving very fast, it treacherous out there.
‘The garden is one big lake at the moment. I’m not sure what has happened in the rest of the village because it’s cut off. I do feel very shocked and frightened. You do your best to save the things you don’t want to lose like paperwork, art equipment, my Apple laptop and iPad.
‘It gets to a point where you just need to let go of your belongings no matter the sentimental value and look after yourself.’
Ms Churton had put up flood boards to protect her property as a precaution following the flash floods locally in 2007.
‘It’s not been as bad as this since 2007 – that was when the Uley Reservoir was about to burst its banks,’ she added. ‘Since then, the brook has been reclassified as a river.’
Key speeches from John McDonnell and Sajid Javid took place in Liverpool and Manchester, dodging the epicentre of the relentless downpours on the other side of the Pennines.
But a number of MPs took to social media to log their sodden campaigning efforts, remembering the election itself will take place in dark and wet December for the first time in almost a century.
Labour’s Andrew Gwynne said on Twitter: ‘Why does it always rain on me? The weather is against us in Audenshaw this morning, but the response is (thankfully) not!’
Another Labour candidate, Lilian Greenwood in Nottingham South, posted a picture of an ark with the comment: ‘Looks like we might be needing one of these for today’s campaigning! #Rain.’
Certain parts of north and north-west England could see nearly a month’s worth of rain. Meanwhile authorities in parts of northern Scotland had to bring out the snowploughs after they were hit by a sizeable snowfall.
Further south, homes and businesses could be flooded as prolonged rain pummelled areas around Hull, Middlesbrough, Lincoln and Scarborough.
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