Heavy rain warning for Yorkshire

Staff at the Environment Agency are continuing to ask people across Yorkshire and the North East to remain vigilant ahead of heavy rain forecast on Friday and Saturday.

From the early hours of Friday morning, a band of rain moving north from Lincolnshire into Yorkshire and parts of the North East of England is expected to bring up to one and a half inches of rain, which may mean that flood alerts and flood warnings are issued across the area.

On Saturday, there is up to two and a half inches, or six centimetres of widespread rain expected across some places in Yorkshire and the North East, and some areas could even get up to four inches or 10 centimetres of rain.

The ground is still saturated from the rain the region has already experienced, meaning that river levels are more likely to respond quickly to heavy rainfall.

At the end of June, Calderdale in Yorkshire experienced up to eight centimetres or over three inches of rain and Newcastle had two inches of rain in a two hour period.

The Environment Agency is also warning that there could be a risk of some surface water flooding across the North.

Flooding from surface water happens when the local drainage system cannot cope with rainfall.  It is extremely difficult to predict precisely where surface water flooding will happen as it depends on ground levels, the amount of rainfall, and the local drainage network.

David Dangerfield, regional director for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire and the North East said:

“Our current forecasts mean we could be issuing widespread flood alerts and warnings, so we urge people to be prepared.

“Yorkshire and the North East has experienced some severe weather in recent weeks, and with further rain forecast for the next few days, people should remain vigilant, check local weather forecasts, and the Environment Agency website for information.

“Our thoughts are with those people whose homes and businesses have already been affected by flooding. Our staff are working hard to provide communities with as much assistance and information as possible.

"Environment Agency teams are out on the ground today monitoring river levels and clearing blockages to prevent flooding around culverts and bridges. They are also checking all the flood defences across the region to make sure they are ready to operate."

If necessary, the Environment Agency will issue flood alerts and flood warnings. Information can be found here, click here or you can follow us on twitter with updates via @envagencyyne for Yorkshire and the North East.