2024 United Kingdom floods
House surrounded by flood water as a result of flooding on the River Severn in Worcestershire.
Date2 January 2024 (2024-01-02) – 11 January 2024 (2024-01-11)
LocationWest Midlands, East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, South East England, South West England, North West England

In January 2024, parts of the United Kingdom experienced significant flooding as a result of heavy rainfall associated with Storm Henk which resulted in hundreds of flood warnings being issued by the Environment Agency. The worst of the flooding occured across parts of the Midlands including Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.[1]

Background

Flooding in Stratford-upon-Avon opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

A European windstorm named Storm Henk by the Met Office brought damaging winds and persistent rain to parts of England and Wales on 2 January, prompting severe weather warnings to be issued across the country.[2] This led to more than 300 flood warnings being issued by the Environment Agency, with extensive flooding affecting the River Trent, River Severn, River Avon and River Thames.[3] Further bands of heavy rain over the following days worsened the situation, and a major incident was declared in Nottinghamshire on 4 January.[4]

Affected areas

Leicestershire

In Loughborough, the Grand Union Canal burst its banks resulting in dozens of homes being flooded.[5]

Lincolnshire

Dunham Bridge, which carries the A57 over the River Trent, was closed to motorists for over a week.[6]

Nottinghamshire

A number of roads were closed due to flooding in Nottinghamshire, such as the A6097 at Gunthorpe and the A617 at Kelham.[7]

Northamptonshire

In Great Billing, the leisure park Billing Aquadrome was evacuated on 3 January due to severe flooding.[8]

Gloucestershire

Several roads in Gloucestershire were closed due to flooding, including the A417 at Maisemore which remained closed for over a week.[9]

Shropshire

In Shrewsbury, several residents were forced to leave their homes as a result of rising water levels on the River Severn at Welsh Bridge.[10]

Worcestershire

In Worcester, the city centre was partially affected by flooding.[11]

Warwickshire

In Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Company cancelled two nights of performances due to rising water levels on the River Avon.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Statement on Storm Henk". GOV.UK. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Storm Henk named by Met Office". Met Office. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Drier weather on the horizon". BBC Weather. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  4. ^ Council, Nottinghamshire County. "Major incident declared in Nottinghamshire due to flooding". Nottinghamshire County Council Newsroom. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Families trapped in flooded homes after canal bursts its banks during Storm Henk". Yahoo News. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Lincolnshire flooding: Dunham Bridge remains closed". BBC News. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Nottinghamshire County Council declares major incident due to flooding". BBC News. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Storm Henk: Billing Aquadrome evacuation continues as water safety warnings remain in place". Northamptonshire Police. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  9. ^ Norris, Phil (10 January 2024). "Main road reopens more than a week after closure due to flooding". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Storm Henk: Flooding forces Shrewsbury residents out of homes". BBC News. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Dramatic drone footage shows extent of flooding across Worcester". Worcester News. 5 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  12. ^ Farrington, Dayna (3 January 2024). "Top theatre cancels shows for second night and says 'we are very sorry'". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
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