The Guardian / UK: Wild weather will continue to cause havoc across Britain with driving snow, high winds, coastal flood warnings and the precautionary evacuation of an Essex village.
Seafront residents in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea, were moved to temporary accommodation as the Environment Agency warned coastal communities in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex to prepare for gale-force winds, large waves and possible flooding on Friday.
Elsewhere, the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for combinations of high winds, snow and ice caused by a polar air mass thatoriginated over northern Canada.
As heavy snow settled across northern Britain, travel was disrupted and some schools closed. The Ministry of Defence said about 100 soldiers from the Catterick army base in Yorkshire had been deployed to Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast, where about 3,000 residents were urged to leave their homes or move upstairs.
With a forecast of further snow and wind, 80 flights were cancelled at Heathrow and four at Gatwick, and passengers were advised to check flight status with airlines before travelling to airports.
The east coast was set to bear the brunt. The Environment Agency warned that gale-force winds, combined with high tides, could result in large waves carrying dangerous debris throughout Friday and into Saturday. The army was on standby to assist, and resources and equipment were moved to the coast, the agency said.
Parts of Suffolk were identified as being at high risk of flooding on Friday night, including Lowestoft seafront and docks, the north bank of Lake Lothing, Oulton Broad near Mutford Lock, Snape, Iken and surrounding marshland, and Southwold and surrounding marshes.
At about midday on Friday, the Environment Agency is anticipating severe flooding in Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey Quay, Felixstowe Ferry Hamlet and the Deben Marshes, isolated riverside properties on the Deben estuary, and tidal Orwell at Ipswich quay.
Mark Sitton-Kent, the national duty manager at the Environment Agency, warned photographers and thrillseekers to stay away: “We understand that powerful tides can be dramatic, but please do not put yourself at unnecessary risk by going to the coast for a thrill or to take pictures.”
Police officers went from house to house in Jaywick, informing residents of the evacuation to a nearby rest centre, due to begin at 7am on Friday. Ch Insp Russ Cole of Essex police said: “Acting on all the professional guidance and experience of our colleagues at the Environment Agency and the Met Office, a partnership decision has been taken to evacuate the homes in Jaywick to ensure the safety of all residents.”
The decision had not been taken lightly, he said, but as darkness fell – and a flood warning could be heard sounding – some residents said they would not be leaving.
Police will use a colour-coded system to identify those staying put and those who may be vulnerable, so if flooding occurs they can prioritise who to help.
One man who has lived in Jaywick for nine years and who wished only to be identified as Pete, said he thought the flooding “will be worse than two years ago” but that “it is part of living by the coast”.
The government’s flood warning information service pinpointed several areas in Lincolnshire as being at risk from a large tidal surge moving down the east coast on Friday. The areas included sea defences in Cleethorpes.
High tidal levels along the Humber estuary, combined with strong winds, could result in large waves overtopping the sea defences, officials said, adding: “The public are advised to stay away from the coast for their safety.” A flood warning was issued for waterside properties in Boston between Town Bridge and Haven Bridge.
Environment Agency teams moved 5,200 metres of temporary barriers and 25 pumps to depots and towns including Newcastle upon Tyne, Blythe, Great Yarmouth, Chelmsford, Rye, and Trusthorpe and South Ferriby in Lincolnshire. The Hull tidal barrier was operated on Thursday evening and all east coast floodgates were closed.
The heaviest and most frequent snow showers are expected across northern and western Scotland, Northern Ireland and around Irish Sea coasts. There were yellow “be aware” warnings of wind and snow for Scotland, with gusts of up to 60 mph in places, and 10-20cm (4in-8in) of snow on higher ground. The warnings extended to northern parts of England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, thick snow blanketed Coleraine and Ballymena.
Paul Gundersen, the chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Most northern areas are very likely to see snow showers at times over the next few days, but the situation over the southern half of England is more complicated. Forecasting snow is always challenging and there’s often a fine line between whether it will rain or snow in a particular location depending on slight changes in air temperature.”
The outlook for the UK over the weekend was for generally dry weather on Saturday, with sunny spells across most of England and Scotland and a few showers, locally wintry, in Northern Ireland and western and easternmost parts of Britain. Sunday will be wetter and milder, with longer spells of rain in the south and some mist and fog developing later.
Those at risk of flooding were urged to keep up to date with the latest situation in their areas by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or at www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding, or by following @EnvAgency and @floodaware on Twitter.
