Flooding hits Birmingham as storm warnings cover much of England and Wales

Flooding has affected parts of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands as thunderstorms are forecast across large areas of England and Wales. West Midlands Fire Service said it had been called to significant flooding in the city after a flood warning was issued for the Perry Barr area on Wednesday night because of rising river levels. Birmingham City Council urged people to take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.

Sponsored

The fire service said it was responding to incidents around Curbar Road, Thornbridge Avenue and Haddon Road. The Environment Agency had issued 22 flood alerts across the Midlands and South East, indicating that flooding was possible in those areas. Two yellow thunderstorm warnings were also in place for Thursday, one covering London and the South East until 8am and another covering Wales and much of England from 5am until 10pm.

The warnings came as forecasters said some areas could see 50 to 75mm of rain on Thursday, along with lightning and hail. In the South East, rainfall of 30 to 40mm was possible, with hail of 1 to 2cm in some places. In the larger warning area, more than 75mm of rain could fall in parts over 12 hours, according to the forecast.

The situation is significant because it combines local flooding with a wider spell of unsettled weather across two nations of the UK. Flood alerts and thunderstorm warnings can affect transport, travel plans and emergency services, particularly when heavy rain falls on ground that is already saturated. The timing also matters because the warnings cover a broad area rather than a single city, increasing the chance of disruption beyond Birmingham.

Sponsored

The weather pattern follows months of drought conditions across the UK, making the return of heavy rain more notable for local authorities and emergency responders. The Met Office said temperatures would remain warm on Thursday before easing closer to average over the weekend. Forecaster Craig Snell said heavy rain and thunderstorms were being watched as they moved up from the south, with further storms possible in the south east later on Thursday and more rain expected into Friday and the Bank Holiday weekend.

What remains unclear is how widespread the flooding in Birmingham will become and whether further incidents will be reported as the rain moves north and east. The key developments to watch are any changes to the flood alerts, the thunderstorm warnings and local disruption in the Midlands, Wales and the South East. Emergency services and councils are likely to continue advising people to avoid flood water and monitor official weather updates.

#Birmingham #flooding #thunderstorms #EnvironmentAgency #MetOffice