A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire on 25 June; and Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and South Wales on 28 July 2007.
June was one of the wettest months on record in the United Kingdom (see List of weather records). Average rainfall across the country was 5.5 inches (140 mm); more than double the June average. Some areas received a month's worth of precipitation in 24 hours. It was the UK's wettest May–July period since records began in 1776. July had unusually unsettled weather and above-average rainfall through the month, peaking on 20 July as an active frontal system dumped more than 4.7 inches (120 mm) of rain in southern England.
Civil and military authorities described the June and July rescue efforts as the biggest in the UK in peacetime. The Environment Agency described the July floods as critical and expected them to exceed the 1947 benchmark.
Meteorological background
June 2007 started quietly with an anticyclone to the north of the United Kingdom maintaining a dry, cool easterly flow. From 10 June the high pressure began to break down as an upper trough moved into the area, triggering thunderstorms that caused flooding in Northern Ireland on 12 June.
Later that week, a slow-moving area of low pressure from the west of Biscay moved east across the British Isles. At the same time an associated occluded front moved into northern England, becoming very active as it did so, with the peak rainfall on 15 June. Rainfall records were broken across the region, leading to localised flooding. As it weakened, the front moved north into Scotland on 16 June and left England and Wales with a very unstable airmass, frequent heavy showers, thunderstorms and cloudy conditions. This led to localised flash flooding and prevented significant drying where earlier rains had fallen.
On 25 June, another unseasonably low pressure (993 hPa / 29.3 inHg) depression, Cyclone Uriah, moved across England. The associated front settled over northern and eastern England and dumped more than 3.9 inches (100 mm) of rain in places. The combination of high rainfall and high water levels from the earlier rainfall led to extensive flooding across many parts of England and Wales, with the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, South, West and East Yorkshire the most affected. Gales along the east coast also caused storm damage. RAF Fylingdales on the North York Moors reported rainfall totals of 4.1 inches (103 mm) in 24 hours, an estimated 3.9 inches (100 mm) in Hull and 3.0 inches (77 mm) on Emley Moor in West Yorkshire. Until 2007, the average monthly total for June for the whole UK was 2.86 inches (72.6 mm).
On 27 June, the Met Office released an early warning of severe weather for the approaching weekend, stating that 0.79 to 1.97 inches (20 to 50 mm) of rain could fall in some areas, raising the possibility of more flooding within the already saturated flood plains.
On 20 July, another active frontal system moved across southern England. Many places recorded a month's rainfall or more in one day. The Met Office at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire reported 4.98 inches (126.6 mm): a sixth of its annual rainfall. The college at Pershore in Worcestershire reported 5.60 inches (142.2 mm), causing the Environment Agency to issue 16 further severe flood warnings. By 21 July, many towns and villages were flooded, with Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, London and South Wales facing the brunt of the heavy rainfall.
Climate researchers suggested that the unusual weather leading to the floods might be linked to that year's appearance of La Nina in the Pacific Ocean, and to the jet stream being further south than normal.
Affected areas in England
England was affected by the June and July floods, with the North badly hit in June, the West badly hit in July, and many areas hit in both. It was England's wettest July on record. Gloucestershire was the worst affected county – with both some minor flooding in June, and major flooding in July. Non-administrative counties and administrative counties affected by the flooding are given below.
Bedfordshire
By 25 July, a number of low-lying parts adjacent to the river in Bedford and Luton were flooded and one man drowned attempting to swim across the River Great Ouse in Bedford. Parts of Felmersham and Turvey were also flooded.
Berkshire
On 20 July, the M4 was closed after a landslide caused by flooding between Junctions 12 and 13 eastbound. Approximately 1,100 properties in Thatcham were affected by flash flooding.
By 21 July, Newbury and Maidenhead town centres were flooded, the shopping mall in Maidenhead was closed and parts of the Glade Festival were flooded. Officials warned that the River Thames, the River Ock, and its tributaries from Charney could burst their banks.
In Reading, rail services to the southwest were affected, and westbound trains from Paddington could go no further.
The flood waters affected the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Burghfield, which handles the United Kingdom's nuclear warheads, resulting in a suspension of work for almost a year.
Buckinghamshire
On 3 June, Stoke Goldington suffered flash flooding affecting 25 homes. Stoke Goldington was affected again on 3 July, with 10 houses being flooded.
By 21 July, seventy homes and businesses were flooded by the River Ouse in Buckingham and 30 people spent the night in the town's Radcliffe centre, but 10 miles (16 km) away a system of balancing lakes prevented Milton Keynes from suffering significantly, apart from a flash flood of Stony Stratford High Street from the River Ouse.
Cambridgeshire
On 24 July, four bridges in St Neots were shut when the river level peaked, and the Environment Agency warned residents in the St Neots, Paxton and Offords areas to expect flooding that night. By 25 July, parts of St Ives were flooded. Later the same day, the Environment Agency advised residents near the River Great Ouse that the peak had passed and further flooding was unlikely.
County Durham
On 15 June, heavy rainfall caused the postponement of the fourth test match between England and the West Indies at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street. On 23 June, flash floods affected parts of Darlington and Stanhope Road, Northgate, St Cuthbert's Way, Parkgate and Haughton Road were closed after water levels rose by about 2 feet (0.6 m). It has also led to Woodland Road to improve its drainage to prevent such flooding on one of the main roads out the town. On 17 July, flooding affected Peterlee town centre, closing shops and a local school.
Cumbria
A 64-year-old man hit his head and died after trying to bail out his flooded home in Alston, Cumbria.
Derbyshire
On 25 June, flooding affected properties in Coal Aston, Calow and Chesterfield town centre, and the A617 was covered by more than 2 feet (0.6 m) of floodwater causing traffic delays.
Gloucestershire
On 19 July, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended 1,800 calls in a 48-hour period, compared with the usual 8,000 calls a year.
On 22 July, Gloucester City A.F.C.'s Stadium was flooded, and the Tewkesbury road at Longford was completely impassable by the Longford Inn. Tewkesbury was completely cut off with no road access, parts of the town were under around 3 feet (0.9 m) of water and flood waters entered Tewkesbury Abbey for the first time in 247 years. Tewkesbury's Mythe Water Treatment Works were flooded. Severn Trent Water warned that treated water would run out by early Sunday evening in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester and surrounding areas.
Combined military and civil emergency services tried to prevent floods reaching the Walham electricity substation in Gloucester supplying half a million people. On 23 July, 50,000 Gloucestershire homes were left without electricity after a major electricity substation in Castle Meads had to be turned off. Efforts to stop flooding at Walham substation succeeded; the Castle Meads substation was repaired the next day.
By 24 July, an estimated 420,000 people were without running water, including most of the population of Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Tewkesbury. Emergency services continued repair work at the Mythe water-treatment works, but Severn Trent Water estimated that water supplies would not be restored for at least 14 days. 900 drinking water bowsers were brought in, and the Army was mobilised to distribute three million bottles of water a day and keep the bowsers filled. Coors, Carlsberg, Scottish and Newcastle, Inbev and Greene King brewing companies offered 23 beer tankers to help supply drinking water. On 26 July, Severn Trent Water organised a temporary non-potable water supply to 10,000 homes in Tewkesbury. It was not until 7 August – 16 days after Mythe Treatment Works stopped pumping – that the tap water for the 140,000 homes affected was again declared safe to drink.
A man and his 24-year-old son died from asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning on 27 July when attempting to stop flooding in the unventilated Tewkesbury Rugby Football Club cellar. On 28 July, the body of a 19-year-old man, reported missing seven days earlier, was recovered in Tewkesbury.
Greater London
On 20 July, flooding occurred in many parts of Greater London. Water and power supplies were not disrupted but parts of South West London were under 2 feet (61 cm) of water. Heathrow Airport cancelled 141 flights. Two of four rail lines in South Croydon were closed by landslips. The London Underground was severely disrupted and 25 stations were closed.
Herefordshire
By 19 June, Herefordshire was affected by flooding. The M50 motorway near Ledbury was closed on 22 July due to flooding. More than 5,200 people in and around Bromyard were without clean water on 22 and 23 July after the pumps at the Whitbourne works failed. Once supply was restored residents were urged by Welsh Water to boil their tap-water until further notice. The village of Hampton Bishop, 3 miles (5 km) from the city of Hereford, was surrounded and flooded by water after the River Lugg burst its banks. On the afternoon of 24 July the Fire Service began pumping flood water out of the village, but not before 130 residents were evacuated. Some houses, including the Herefordshire home of Daily Mail writer Quentin Letts, were flooded by a torrent of water gushing from what had previously been only a small, unnamed brook north of Ross-on-Wye.
Residents of East Bromyard were rescued after the River Frome burst its banks.
Lancashire
On 12 June, Lostock Hall and Penwortham near Preston were hit by flash floods.
On 3 July, heavy rain caused flooding in Earby and Ribchester, affecting homes and causing the Royal Lancashire Show to be cancelled on 9 July. On 4 July, the Blackburn Mela was cancelled due to ground conditions. On 18 July, Walton-le-Dale near Preston was hit by flash floods.
Lincolnshire
Louth and Horncastle were severely flooded, some roads in that area becoming impassable. Children at a school in Horncastle were evacuated because of floods. More than 600-flood related calls occurred across the county. In Lincoln, mainly round the Stamp End area, a house called Shuttleworth House was completely flooded with water in its insides. After power was lost in the area, more than 200 people were rescued in dinghies.
Nottinghamshire
On 27 June 2007, flash flooding caused extensive damage to the villages of Lambley, Woodborough and Burton Joyce. Major towns were hit including Mansfield and Hucknall but not as severely as Lambley. The same day, flooding occurred at Retford and Worksop after the River Idle and River Ryton respectively overtopped their banks.
Oxfordshire
Many rivers burst their banks, including both the Thames and the Cherwell in Oxford and the Ock in Abingdon the Windrush in Witney and the Evenlode.
By 21 July, Banbury and Witney were flooded. Oxford, particularly Botley, was flooded and some 300 people were evacuated.
On 22 July, the Environment Agency warned of further flooding and 1,500 people in Abingdon were evacuated. Forty thousand sandbags were transported from Grantham in Lincolnshire to Abingdon and Oxford.
By 23 July, Oxford, Abingdon, Kidlington and Bladon were affected; some 3,000 homes including the home of William Morris at Kelmscott were flooded and 600 residents were evacuated, with many taking refuge in Oxford United Football Club's Kassam Stadium.
On 24 July, the Thames in Abingdon rose 3 feet (0.9 m) in less than 12 hours to a "perilously high" level and the Thames and the Severn were expected to rise to 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than normal.