More rain forecast after ‘unprecedented’ downpours in flood hit areas

Dreams of summery weather like last year still appears to be nothing but just that as further heavy rain and thunderstorms are predicted.

Next week is set to be wet nut hotter after two months worth of downpours fell in parts of the UK in just two days in ‘an unprecedented event’.

Photos show a town which has been completely swamped following severe flooding – leading to the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

Residents from almost 600 households in and around Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, have been told to leave as waters continued to surge on Saturday, with further downpours forecast.

Dozens of people spent the night away from their homes in temporary emergency centres and high volume pumps are set to be used to lower water levels.

Lincolnshire Police are requesting people in the town avoid using washing machines, toilets and showers during the flooding, while water pumps were drafted in by the Environment Agency on Sunday to ease the flow.

Police also said it remained ‘critical’ that no members of the public launch any personal or unofficial drones in the area – which is covered by a no-flight zone during the ongoing emergency – as police drones need to monitor the situation.

RAF Chinook helicopters dropped an additional 76 tonnes of sand and ballast in the area on Sunday after drafting in 270 one-tonne sandbags in an attempt to repair the bank on Friday.

The town first flooded on Wednesday after more than two months’ worth of rain fell in two days, causing the River Steeping to burst its banks.

Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness Matt Warman praised the multi-agency response to the flooding over the previous days.

Warman said on Saturday: ‘In terms of the response, we have seen an incredible working together of the agencies.

‘Local people should keep an eye on the police because there is still the potential for risk to homes and lives.

‘But in the long term, it will always just be a huge thank you.’

The Environment Agency said the Wainfleet area experienced two months’ worth of rain in just two days – with 132mm between June 10-12, which it considers ‘an unprecedented event’.

Temperatures across the country will rise into the mid-20s early next week, according to the Met Office, before there is further rain and the risk of thunder.

Meteorologist Simon Partridge said: ‘There is the potential for some thundery and heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

‘A little bit of uncertainty about when it will arrive but it will be pushing in from the south and will leave from north-east England. England and Wales will have spells of heavy and thundery rain.’

Immediately before that, the south east of England could have temperatures of 25C or 26C on Tuesday, according to the forecaster.

The Met Office has issued thunderstorm warnings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This comes as the UK festival season got off to a typically wet start.

Festival-goers at both Download and Isle of Wright were left wading through the ankle-deep mud after several days of downpour.