Leicestershire faces severe flooding, trapping students and prompting rescues as emergency services respond to the crisis
Leicestershire: Today, a school found itself in a tough spot with kids trapped inside due to flooding. Emergency services declared a major incident as flood warnings piled up.
Edenham Church of England School was hit hard, and firefighters rushed to help. The Environment Agency issued red alerts, warning that flooding was likely after heavy rain and melting snow.
Travel has turned into chaos, with roads shut down and trains suspended as emergency crews work to manage the flooding. Firefighters received over 200 calls and rescued 17 people just this morning.
In nearby North Yorkshire, police found a man’s body in a flooded area, believed to have entered the water over the weekend. They’re asking for help to identify him.
As winter weather continues to disrupt travel and close schools, yellow warnings for snow and ice are in effect across much of the UK.
By late afternoon, the Environment Agency had issued 193 flood warnings and 306 alerts across England, indicating that flooding is either expected or possible.
Judi Beresford from the fire service stressed that flooding is a serious risk and urged everyone to heed the warnings.
In Lincolnshire, officials declared a major incident due to the severe weather, warning that conditions could worsen overnight as water freezes over.
The Prime Minister has also urged the public to listen to emergency services and thanked them for their hard work, expressing concern for those affected.
In Parliament, environment minister Emma Hardy said flooding is a top priority and highlighted concerns for several counties, including Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
She warned of more localized flooding in the next day or so and promised to improve funding for flood defenses to better protect communities.
Meanwhile, Northern Powergrid reported that over 27,000 homes in Yorkshire and the North lost power during the cold snap, with some still without electricity.
National Resources Wales has issued 16 flood alerts and one warning, while the Met Office cautioned that snow and ice could cause more issues in Scotland.
This past Sunday night was the coldest of the winter, with temperatures dropping to minus 13.3C in the Highlands.
Hundreds of schools closed today in various regions, including Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Met Office is advising everyone to be ready for snow, with warnings in place across several areas.
There’s also a separate snow warning for southern England later this week.
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