Storm Ashley battered most of the UK on Sunday (October 20), leaving a historic city just a few miles outside of Gloucestershire largely underwater, after the River Severn burst its banks.
Shocking photos show the extent of the flooding in Worcester, with parked cars left swamped up to their wingmirrors, while spectator stands at Worcester County Cricket Club were half-submerged as Worcester Cathedral towered strikingly in the background.
The River Severn, which flows through both Worcestershire and Gloucestershire before joining the Bristol Channel through the Severn Estuary, was put on high flood alert on Thursday (October 17), ahead of the storm moving in. And levels continued to rise, until the river eventually burst its banks on Sunday.
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Speaking on Sunday morning, after both Gloucester and Worcester had endured several hours of heavy rain, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: “River levels are rising at the Worcester (Barbourne) river gauge as a result of recent heavy rainfall. Consequently, flooding of property, roads, and farmland is expected this morning (Sun).
“Further rainfall is forecast over the next 24 hours. We expect river levels to remain high over the next few days. We are closely monitoring the situation. Our incident response staff are liaising with emergency services and local authorities. Please move possessions and valuables off the ground or to safety.”
The severe weather follows the Met Office issuing an uncommon “danger to life” warning due to Storm Ashley’s ferocious winds, which threatened to whip up massive coastal waves and hurl beach debris, endangering lives.
Storm Ashley was named by Met Éireann as it hit the Republic of Ireland first, on Saturday night. However, it soon swept across the UK, beginning down in Cornwall at around 2am on Sunday, before moving north-east across Devon, Somerset, and towards Gloucestershire by around 4am.
By 8.30am, almost the entirety of the UK was being battered by heavy rain, with yellow weather warnings for wind and rain in place in Scotland, large areas of the north-west, and also for most of the south-west from 9am until midday. The region was warned to expect potential disruptions to travel, as well as flooding and possible power supply interruptions.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Tony Wisson, stated: “Storm Ashley will bring strong winds for most of the UK on Sunday before it clears on Monday, with a chance of some disruption across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northwest England and West Wales.
“A period of especially strong winds are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening in western Scotland, where gusts could potentially reach 70-80mph in exposed areas, and an Amber warning for winds has been issued here.
“More generally, 50-60 mph are possible in some inland areas in other parts of the warning area, especially Northern Ireland and western Scotland, and perhaps up to 60-70 mph along exposed coasts and hills. These strong winds, in conjunction with high spring tides, may cause some disruption.”
Mr Stroud further warned that strong, gale force winds are expected to continue through to Monday morning, potentially leading to “fallen debris and trees” which could impact commuters at the start of the week.
In Scotland, road users have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel where possible, while the annual Great South Run in Portsmouth, Hampshire, has been cancelled due to weather-related safety concerns.
As of Sunday morning, the Environment Agency’s website had 41 active flood warnings, indicating expected flooding, and 132 flood alerts, suggesting possible flooding. Affected areas include multiple locations along the River Severn, the south Cornwall coast, and the Wye Estuary. In Wales, Natural Resources Wales reported three flood warnings and 13 flood alerts.