Man swept away by floodwater as an inch of rain hits the Midlands in just ONE hour after ‘apocalyptic thunderstorm’

June 28th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Retired teacher Michael Ellis, 66, dies after being swept away by floodwater near Ludlow, Shropshire
Hailstones the size of GOLF BALLS batter a village in Leicestershire – smashing a car window
37mm of rain fell in six hours in Shobdon, Herefordshire this morning
‘It was like Birmingham-on-Sea’ says teacher after rain hits
Southern England escapes downpour completely as rain falls on West Midlands
North-south divide as temperatures hit 28C in Gravesend and 27C in London

By
Rob Cooper

PUBLISHED:

07:25 EST, 28 June 2012

|

UPDATED:

12:55 EST, 28 June 2012

A man has died after being swept away by water in a swollen stream as huge thunderstorms battered the Midlands and northern England today.

Michael Ellis, 66, was killed by fast-flowing water at Bittlerley, near Ludlow, Shropshire, this morning after two hours of torrential rain.

The retired deputy headteacher had been driving
home after having blood tests at a nearby doctor’s surgery when the
sudden floods cut him off just half-a-mile from his remote rural home.

Mr Ellis, who lived in the village
with his wife Judith, 68, for more than 10 years, abandoned the silver
Ford Ka by some farm buildings and attempted to make his way back home
by foot.

His tragic death came as Netweather reported there were 54,000 lightning bolts in 24 hours across the Midlands and north Britain – around 20 times more than during usual lightning events. At the storm’s peak, 153 lightning strikes were being recorded every minute.

In Leicestershire the freak weather saw hailstones as big as golf balls crash down, some even smashing car windows.

Scroll down to see footage of the storms

Wet weather strikes: A huge apocalyptic-like thunder storm struck much of the West Midlands and is marked in red and yellow as heavy rain returned to Britain

Bolt from above: A fork of lightning strikes behind marquees set up for the weekend airshow at RAF Waddington, Lincs

Washout: A road in Bodlmere, Sutton Coldfield, is turned into a river this morning as a huge thunderstorm strikes

Making a splash: A huge storm strikes in Boldmere, Birmingham this morning as 22mm - or almost an inch - of rain fell in 24 hours

Making a splash: A huge storm strikes in Boldmere, Birmingham this morning as 22mm – or almost an inch – of rain fell in 24 hours

Scene: The flooded stream where 66-year-old Michael Ellis was tragically killed after being swept away by fast-flowing water at Bittlerley, near Ludlow, Shropshire

Motorists struggle along flooded roads near Bellingham in Northumberland following a torrential downpour

But he only managed to walk 100 yards
before he was swept away in a flash flood after a brook running through
the village burst its banks.

Witnesses said the man’s body was found nearby after the emergency services launched a huge search as heavy rain hit.

Half a month’s rain fell in just an hour this morning as the severe storm hit across the Midlands. In Scampton, Lincolnshire, 25.8mm of rain fell between 1pm and 2pm.

Rita Gatehouse, 66, said: ‘Mike had been to doctors for blood tests and was driving home.

‘He found himself stranded by the
flood waters and couldn’t drive through – so he got out and walked. He
must have been trying to find a different way around when he got into
difficulties.’

He also ran a Girl Guides group with his wife Judith. The couple did not have any children.

Chaos: Thunderstorms in Newcastle upon-Tyne turn the quayside roadway into a river with drivers battling to keep moving in the rising floodwater

A freak 14cm-long hailstone which fell in Leicestershire

Whopper: A freak 14cm-long hailstone which fell in Leicestershire

Hailstones the size of golf balls which fell in Sian Colver's garden in Leicestershire this afternoon

Hailstones the size of golf balls which fell in Sian Colver’s garden in Leicestershire this afternoon

Earlier, 22.2m fell in Winterbourne, West Midlands, as a weather front moved across the country. And Shrobdon, Herefordshire, had 37mm of rain between 6am and midday today – with most of the wet weather coming during a three-hour period.

Henry Chance, chairman of Bitterley
Parish Council, where a man died, said: ‘This flooding is the worst I
can ever remember in living memory.

‘The water down there is usually nothing more than a brook – its just a trickle. You wouldn’t even know there was any kind of waterway running through Bitterley – you could walk up and down it in wellies.

In Birstall, Leicestershire, hailstones the size of golf balls fell this afternoon – smashing a car window in the process. The hailstones – which measured up to 6cm (2.3ins) in diameter – fell during an hour long storm which started at around 1pm.

Hail: The ground looks like it is covered in snow in Queniborough, Leicestershire, following a storm this afternoon

Shattered: A broken rear windscreen on an Audi which was smashed by falling hailstones in Leicestershire

Whoppers: The golf-ball sized hailstones which fell in Sian Colver's garden in Birstall, Leicestershire today

Whoppers: The golf-ball sized hailstones which fell in Sian Colver’s garden in Birstall, Leicestershire today

Sian Colver, 29, said: ‘The weather is just crazy, one minute everything was normal
with blue skies and then suddenly all you could hear was what sounded
like bullets hitting rooves and windows.

‘I was shocked when I saw the size of them, they were like golf balls.’

But as parts of the country were hit
by wet weather, London and the south of England remained dry this afternoon as the fourth day of
tennis got underway at Wimbledon.

Temperatures of 28C were recorded in Gravesend while there was 27C in London

A black and white image shows
hundreds of lightning strikes as red crosses stretching from Wales in
the West across as far as Derbyshire.

Dan Quirk, 34, a deputy headteacher from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, said he had never seen such a sudden and sharp hour of rain before.

Three-day weather forecast

British summertime: A shop worker wades through floodwater in Penkridge, Staffordshire, as the country is hit by torrential rain and thunderstorms

Torching soaking: Glenn Chambers carries the Olympic flame between Edwinstowe and Mansfield, during a heavy downpour today

Soaking: Torchbearer Glenn Chambers carries the Olympic flame between Edwinstowe and Mansfield, during a heavy downpour today

He said: ‘It was like Birmingham-on-Sea, I have never seen it come down that fast or with such power, it was incredible.‘The road was literally turned into a river in just a few minutes.’A 90-year-old man had to be rescued from his car by fire crews in Worfield, Shropshire, as three feet of water rose around his car on the A454.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said the 90-year-old man was one of a number of people rescued from vehicles following downpours in the Bridgnorth area of the county.

Herefordshire Council said a number of roads across the county were submerged, with severe localised flooding affecting Orleton, Brimfield, Yarpole and Kingsland.

The Environment Agency urged people to be on alert for more flash flooding across the Midlands and northern England as the Met Office forecast outbreaks of torrential rain across many central and northern parts of the country.

There is a continued risk of surface water flooding this afternoon and into the evening if drainage systems are overwhelmed by rainfall.

The heavy rain could also cause rivers to rise rapidly, the Environment Agency warned. It said the public should stay away from swollen rivers and not drive through floodwater.

Wet: Heavy rainfall in Edgbaston, Birmingham, causes localised flooding today

Splash: A woman cycles through a large puddle in Edgbaston, Birmingham, today after a downpour this morning

Soaking: The huge thunderstorm which hit the Midlands this morning can be seen in the centre of this weather map from today

Summer soaking: Penkridge, Staffordshire, is hit by flash-flooding today after torrential rainfall overnight

Fury: David Cameron is confronted by Kathleen Simpson as he leaves the town hall in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, after a meeting with council officials and emergency services workers about the floods which hit the town on Friday night

West Mercia Police said the Redditch
Ringway had been closed after a 66ft section of wall collapsed and
caused two trees to fall into the carriageway this morning.

Structural engineers were due to assess the damage following the incident.

The fire service said Bromsgrove in north Worcestershire had been badly affected by heavy downpours in the area.

Crews received about 30 calls from
north Herefordshire between 8.30am and 10am, with another 30 from north
Worcestershire later in the morning.

The Environment Agency said up to 35mm of rain had fallen in one hour in Herefordshire.

Worcestershire County Council said Westacre Middle School in Droitwich had been closed after a downstairs classroom was flooded.

Scorcher: A woman enjoys the sun as she walks her dogs in Hyde Park today as temperatures reached 27C in central London

Scorcher: Sunseekers enjoy the weather in Hyde Park today as temperatures reached as high as 27C

Summer sun: Rowers in traditional blazers watch the action at Henley Royal Regatta today

Weather outlook: Much of the north is being hit by heavy rain this afternoon - and there are two dark and cloudy days ahead

Weather outlook: Much of the north is being hit by heavy rain this afternoon – and there are two dark and cloudy days ahead

Rising water: Bank workers look out on a rising flash flood after a torrential downpour in the Staffordshire village of Penkridge

Wet weather: A bus driver goes through floodwater in the Twinbrook estate, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, today

Downpour: Council workers try to clear blocked drains as flood water settles in the Twinbrook estate, Lisburn, Northern Ireland

London Midland tweeted that lines are blocked after flooding between Barnt Green and Bromsgrove in north Worcestershire.

Gemma Plumb, a forecaster with
MeteoGroup, said that there would be more wet weather to come over the
next few days – although not on the scale of this morning.

‘The Midlands will see further heavy showers and thunderstorms this afternoon but it should clear during the evening,’ she said.

‘There
will be further heavy showers in north Wales and it is looking like
there will be further rain across the north-east, Northern Ireland and
Scotland.

‘There is a
chance of rain at Wimbledon later and we cannot rule out the possibility
of showers across the south where it has been largely dry.

Deluge: Three youths make their way along a flooded pathway in Lisburn, Northern Ireland

Rising water: Shop workers try to protect their premises from a rising flash flood in Penkridge

Sew-king: Workers outside a sewing shop in Penkridge today as flash flooding hit after the thunderstorm

‘The
heavy thundery rain will move away from the north-east overnight but
there will be further showers around tomorrow and at the weekend with
some of them heavy – but not as bad as today.’

Earlier, Prime Minister David Cameron was
confronted by a voter today as he visited one of the
towns affected by devastating floods last week.

Mr
Cameron was leaving the town hall in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, when
Kathleen Simpson surprised him as he was getting into his car.

Mr
Cameron had just left a meeting with council officials and emergency
services workers about the deluge which hit the town on Friday night.

Before
he left Todmorden Town Hall today, Mr Cameron said: ‘First of all,
one’s sympathy just goes out to people who had their homes flooded and
have seen so many treasured possessions destroyed.

‘But what you see is an incredibly strong community come together with real purpose – very positive – to help each other out.

Flooding: Mr Cameron talks to Sarah-Jayne Robins (right) in her home in Todmorden today after flooding hit on Friday night

Wet wet wet: Vehicles drive through floodwater in Penkridge today after heavy rain hit causing localised flooding

‘It really needs to be said to thank everyone who took part in it. The Government stands by to help in any way we can. The council’s doing a good job. We will fill in any gaps if that’s required.’

The Prime Minister added: ‘This is a beautiful area of our country and it’s absolutely open for business.’

Mr Cameron talked about investment in flood relief but said: ‘That will never protect everybody.

‘There was a month’s rain that fell in 24 hours.

‘You can’t protect against some of that but we’ll do everything we can.’

Soaking: Heavy rain in the Dunmurry area of Northern Ireland has caused localised flooding

Olympic spirit dampened: Debbie Foote carries the Olympic flame between Edwinstowe and Mansfield in heavy rain today on Day 41 of the relay

Warm start: Wimbledon was bathed in sunshine this morning as the courts were prepared ready for the day's play in SW19

Warm start: Wimbledon was bathed in sunshine this morning as the courts were prepared ready for the day’s play in SW19

Tennis washout? Andy Murray signs an autograph for a fan at Wimbledon this morning. With wet weather set to hit, his second round match may have to be played under the centre court retractable roof

No washout: Andy Murray signs an autograph for a fan at Wimbledon this morning before the start of his second round match

VIDEO: Thundering. Storms in the midlands were relentless

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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Walking around Hyde Park in a bikini! Call me a prude if you like but I don’t think that should be allowed! – wendy, cheshire, 28/6/2012 16:15 What do you look like in a bikini Wendy? I am guessing ummm…
– James – MK, Milton Keynes, 28/6/2012 17:06*************35 years ago I look like a babe in a bikini 🙂 not so much now though 🙁

– wendy, cheshire, 28/6/2012 18:01

Erm … 22.2 METRES of rain fell in Winterbourne??? I very much doubt it DM … that would be an awful lot of rain, even for an English summer,

– Big Ade, near Boston, Lincolnshire, 28/6/2012 18:00

– DODGER, staffordshire england, 28/6/2012 14:35
EDUCATE YOURSELF!!!! Most drains in the UK take sewage and storm flows. Build more overflows and in events like this you spill a hell of a lot of sewage in the rivers.
Are you happy for your taxes to increase to pay for this? Do you want your rivers and coasts polluted??
I wish peole wouldn’t make comments without knowing what they are talking about!!

– In the know, North East, 28/6/2012 17:59

Spent 6 hours in the garden today catching a tan. I think the northerners are fussing over a light shower….

– George, London, 28/6/2012 17:59

How can someone be swept away by an inch of rain?
– tg, HH uk, 28/6/2012 14:23
You really should read the article more clearly it says: Mr Ellis, who lived in the village with his wife Judith, 68, for more than 10 years, abandoned the silver Ford Ka by some farm buildings and attempted to make his way back home by foot. But he only managed to walk 100 yards before he was swept away in a flash flood after a brook running through the village burst its banks.
Witnesses said the man’s body was found nearby after the emergency services launched a huge search as heavy rain hit
I would just like to add may he rest in peace.

– Lauren, England London, 28/6/2012 17:58

Picture 6 looks like the queen !

– smw, Chester, 28/6/2012 17:57

It really IS grim up north!

– Wings of Redemption, LNDN, 28/6/2012 17:56

It really IS grim up north!

– Wings of Redemption, LNDN, 28/6/2012 17:55

The effects of Climate Change – Not “man made climate change” or “global warming / cooling” – just climate change as has happening since before man was around to notice it.

– Stephen, Esh Winning, 28/6/2012 17:55

I am a flood risk engineer. What people fail to realise is that epic storm events happen. I have heard this could be classed as a one in 50 year event. You cannot protect everywhere for extreme events! (Unless you want your taxes to be even higher!!).
The problems in drainage networks where properties flood during up to eg a 1 in 10 year event are where more investment should be focussed.
As much as a lack of maintenance may cause issues in rural areas (- Sid., Gateshead. UK, 28/6/2012 13:45), in cities the fact that people pave over their gardens/the increase in impermeable area has a massive impact. I think there should be some education on sustainable urban drainage SUDs. All this paving over green areas causes water to enter sewers much quicker which means that they cannot cope.
I really hope that people do not try to blame the Met Office, environment agency etc – people who do clearly do not really understand the situation and the science of rain and flooding!

– In the know, North East, 28/6/2012 17:54

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