Heavy Rainfall and Storm Bert Cause Widespread Flooding Across Leicestershire and Rutland
Heavy rain from Storm Bert over the weekend has caused significant flooding across Leicestershire and Rutland, leading to road closures and disruptions. The storm brought torrential rainfall on Saturday and Sunday, prompting 161 flood warnings and 213 flood alerts across England.
The Leicestershire and Rutland Local Resilience Partnership reported road closures in several areas, including:
- Leicestershire: Crow Mills in Countesthorpe, Mythe Lane in Witherley, Hoby Road in Asfordby, and Slash Lane in Sileby.
- Rutland: A6003 Caldecott, A6003 Manton Bridge, Stockerston Road in Uppingham, and Stoke Road in Lyddington.
In Market Harborough, flooding on Sunday evening forced closures of Kettering Road, Rectory Lane, Scotland Road, St Nicholas Close, and Northampton Road. These roads have since reopened, according to Leicestershire Police.
The rising levels of the River Jordan in Braybrooke and Little Bowden led to resident evacuations on Sunday night. Authorities urged people to avoid these areas and advised drivers to plan ahead, avoid entering floodwaters, and adhere to closure signs and warnings.
Flooding also disrupted rail services on the East Midlands Main Line, particularly between Market Harborough and Kettering, due to inundations and landslips. However, Network Rail inspectors cleared the affected tracks, allowing services to resume their regular timetable on Monday.
Emergency services continue to monitor the situation, urging caution as cleanup efforts progress.