A number of flood alerts for London are in place on Easter Monday as travellers return to the capital at the end of the bank holiday.
Six alerts have been issued and are in place to flag a risk of flooding in the south-east and the west of the capital.
The government says groundwater levels have been rising through most of February and until the second half of March in response to heavy rainfall and storm events during the previous month.
Properties with deep basements and low lying land in the affected areas are thought to be the most at risk.
All of the alerts have been flagged at the lowest level of severity.
These relate to:
- The lower river Colne and Frays river,
- Colne Brook at Iver and Colnbrook,
- River Thames from Datchet to Shepperton Green,
- Chertsey Bourne,
- And groundwater flooding in South East London.
Forecasters have already flagged the potential for heavy rain across the south of England on Easter Monday, with the risk of hail and thunder.
Some 10 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – are in place across England, including for the River Brue in Somerset and River Severn in Gloucestershire, as well as 112 flood alerts.
Around 2.01 million leisure journeys will be made by car on Easter Monday, according to the RAC and transport analysis company Inrix.
The lengthiest delays are expected to be between 10am and 12pm, and drivers have been advised to wait until later in the day and travel in the evening.
Liam Eslick, a forecaster at the Met Office, said there is a “risk of localised flooding” in some areas.
Mr Eslick said: “Being the bank holiday weekend, people are travelling around at this time, so we’d recommend checking road coverage if people are driving or any bus and train timetables to see if there are any cancellations.”
Rain will continue to edge northwards through Monday morning 🌧️
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 31, 2024
Brighter skies either side, though heavy showers developing in the south 🌦️ pic.twitter.com/0ZOBKVXSux
Drivers are urged to reduce their speeds, as rain can reduce visibility, and give themselves more time to brake on slippery road surfaces – suggesting a gap of at least four seconds between traffic.
The showers could bring between 5mm and 15mm of rainfall, forecasters said.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to see much brighter spells.
The outlook will remain unsettled after the long weekend, with low pressure dominating and spells of heavy rain likely.
