Poynton flooding: Cheshire residents evacuated after heavy downpours spark major incident

Homes have been evacuated and stranded people rescued after heavy downpours sparked serious flooding in Cheshire.

A major incident was declared late on Wednesday in Poynton after hours of rain pummelled the area.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said firefighters, emergency services personnel and staff from Highways England were helping those affected, with a rest centre established at Poynton Civic Hall.

Police urged people not to ignore "road closed" signs by driving or walking through water.

"Your car could become submerged and the road underneath could have collapsed, putting you in danger," the Macclesfield North and Poynton police Twitter account said.

A van is submerged in water during flooding in Cheshire
PA

CFRS added: "Please bear with us, crews and police officers are working very hard to get to those in need and the most vulnerable in our communities."

Poynton Fire Station said its crews had been to more than 20 incidents, including rescuing at least 11 people from flood water in the area over a four-hour stretch.

Police in nearby Wilmslow also said its officers were "dealing with flooding" and had evacuated affected residents, with Oakenclough Children's Centre open as a rest centre.

A major incident was declared after the flooding in Poynton
PA

Photos shared on social media showed the aftermath of heavy rain that struck Horwich, Bolton, on Wednesday afternoon.

Jess, 20, was caught in the "mammoth" rain which flooded roads to "shin height", according to posts she shared on Twitter.

"I had my dog with me and as we crossed the road she almost got swept away, so I had to pull her across to me and pick her up," she said.

"I then waded through the rest of the water, about a foot and a half deep. I've never seen water that deep in such a residential area before."

Jess, who chose not to reveal her second name, said she told a mother with her child in a pram not to cross the street as it would have been "way too deep".

A car makes its way along the flooded Bonis Hall Lane, Cheshire, after heavy rain
PA

Cheshire was one of several areas across the north of England affected by the flooding.

It had led to 16 flood warnings across the UK, which are in place for North East, the North West, the Midlands and Yorkshire.

In North Yorkshire on Wednesday, flash flooding wiped out roads and destroyed a bridge in the Yorkshire Dales, where a month's worth of rain fell in just a few hours.

A clean-up operation started on Wednesday in the worst hit villages, with one local resident describing their community as a "virtual lake".

​Rescuers reported seeing sheds and oil tanks floating down roads as "100 or more" homes in the Yorkshire Dales were hit by the deluge.

A bridge over Cogden Gill on Grinton Moor, which featured in the opening stage of the 2014 Tour de France, was reduced to ruins, leaving a gaping hole

Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, which posted a photo of the wrecked bridge, urged motorists to "only travel if essential as many routes are impassable".

The fire service added that it received around 115 calls to flooding incidents in Leyburn and Reeth on Tuesday evening.

Flooding in the North of England - In pictures

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Malham Tarn saw 82.2mm of rain in 24 hours, the majority of which fell within four hours. The monthly average in the area for this time of year is 89mm.

The fierce flooding followed a violent hail and rain storm further west, which caused a landslide to block the main settle to Carlisle railway line between Kirkby Stephen and Garsdale.

A man photographs shocking damage to the bridge near Grinton, North Yorkshire
PA

Hailstones the size of sweets or “pickled onions” fell in some areas, causing damage and destruction.

The Environment Agency put out multiple flood warnings and alerts covering central, north-west and north-east England on Wednesday.

These continued to be in place early on Thursday morning.

Forecasters at the Met Office also issued an all-day yellow warning of heavy rain and thunderstorms, covering a large swathe of England northwards from Manchester, Sheffield and Lincoln.

Further showers are due on Thursday but they are not expected to be as heavy.

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