Heavy rain threatens floods and travel disruption in parts of UK

Heavy rain threatens floods and travel disruption in parts of UK

Ferry passengers face another day of delays after appalling weather saw some ships stranded outside Dover for hours.

PORTHCAWL, WALES - AUGUST 10: Waves crash against the harbour wall on August 10, 2019 in Porthcawl, Wales. The Met Office have issued a yellow weather warnings for winds of up to 60mph and thunderstorms for large parts of the UK. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
Image: Parts of the UK have been lashed by summer storms, with forecasters warning it will remain unsettled
Weather warnings remain in force for parts of the UK after more than 70mm of rain fell in Cumbria causing floods that shut the rail link between Scotland and England.
Forecasters said the wettest part of the country was Spadeadam which recorded 71.4mm of rainfall on Saturday - nearly the region's entire monthly average of 82.4mm for August.
Two weather alerts for heavy rain, bringing the risk of further travel disruption and flooding, are still in place with one covering Cumbria and Lancashire and another for southern Scotland.
Floods shut West Coast Main Line between Scotland and England

Floods shut West Coast Main Line between Scotland and England
Metereologist Helen Roberts said: "It does look like remaining unsettled and changeable right through most of the next seven days."
Meanwhile, ferry passengers face another day of delays after adverse weather conditions meant some ships were stranded outside Dover for hours, waiting to dock.
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Tug boats had to battle against strong winds on Saturday to pull ferries into the Kent port, with some waiting for more than three hours.
There will be more delays until weather conditions settle, ferry operators said.
P&O Ferries said on Twitter: "Due to adverse weather conditions - we are now offering a turn up and go service to all passengers until weather improves. We will accommodate you on the first available sailing once you reach check-in. Wait time between check-in and sailing is currently approx. 4-5hrs."
Stephen Deadman, from Nottingham, said: "We should have arrived in Dover 11.15am local time but we got off the boat at 4pm.
"[It was] a quick journey across Channel but we stopped four miles from Dover."
Kite surfers enjoy the strong winds off of Branksome Chine, near Poole in Dorset. Warnings for rain and wind came into force across nearly all of the UK today.
Image: Kite surfers enjoy the strong winds off of Branksome Chine, near Poole in Dorset
He said there had been five boats waiting but that passengers were kept informed and the seas were not rough.
Although wind warnings will not be in place from midnight on Sunday morning, a warning for rain remains in place in southern parts of Scotland, from Perth to the borders.
There were problems with travel in other parts of the UK thanks to the weather through the day.
On Saturday, the West Coast Main Line was closed between Scotland and England because of flooding on the tracks.
Waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl, Wales
Image: Waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl, Wales
Network Rail Scotland said five trains were trapped or blocked between Lockerbie and Penrith North - and in places, water levels are a foot above the rails.
In a series of tweets, the organisation said the flooding was caused by water from an adjacent field running on to tracks.
Water levels eventually dropped to a safe level at about 6pm meaning trains could run again at full speed.
People cross a windy Millennium bridge in London
Image: People cross a windy Millennium bridge in London
There was also flooding between Blackburn and Clitheroe, causing blockages to the lines on Saturday evening.
Windy conditions hit all of Britain, with Mumbles Head, between Gower and Swansea getting the strongest winds at 61mph, followed by Pembrey Sands in Carmarthenshire at 56mph.