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Southern England hit by floods as Storm Aurore arrives from France

Southern England

Southern England hit by floods as Storm Aurore arrives from France

Emergency services have received a high number of calls from people reporting flooding after southern England was hit overnight by heavy rain and strong winds from a storm moving in from France.

The Met Office issued a yellow rain warning covering most of southern England for Wednesday night and into Thursday, meaning people living there could experience transport delays, flooding and power issues.

It came as a low-pressure system named Storm Aurore moved in from France, bringing up to 50mm of rain and 45mph winds in the worst-affected areas.

Essex fire service said they had received more than 120 calls by 2.30am regarding flood-related incidents.

The Met Office issued yellow rain warnings for the southern counties and Channel Islands until 3am on Thursday, but said the most severe impact of the storm would be over northern France.

It added the unsettled weather was likely to continue for the rest of the week, with showers and breezy conditions across western Scotland and some areas of central and northern England and Wales on Friday.

Forecasters predict more persistent rain over the weekend, with the heaviest rain expected in western Scotland, where 40-60mm could fall in 24 hours.

Northern Ireland, northern England and Wales could get up to 20mm of rain, while southern and central areas will have light rain.

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Environment

259 die in flood disaster – NEMA

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported that 1,048,312 people have been affected by flooding in Nigeria between April and September 2024.

The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, disclosed this at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) in Abuja on Thursday.

Umar stated that 625,239 persons had been displaced and 259 lives lost to the disaster. She commiserated with those affected and assured them that the Federal Government, through NEMA, would provide necessary support. She said the main reason for convening the meeting was to receive updates on the flood situation and assign roles and responsibilities to stakeholders.

Umar noted that although flooding could not be totally prevented, efforts were being made to mitigate its impact.

According to the D-G, 29 states and 172 local government areas have been impacted by flooding, affecting 1,048,312 people, displacing 625,239, and resulting in 259 deaths. She emphasized the need for a coordinated response to the disaster.

“NEMA has activated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in some states and deployed additional staff to support search and rescue operations. The agency has also provided water purification equipment and critical search and rescue tools to affected states.”

Umar appreciated the support of international partners and encouraged them to continue providing assistance while monitoring the situation. She noted that the situation was not yet overwhelming for the Nigerian government to cope with.

The Assistant Director, Search and Rescue, Wagami Madu, presented an update on the flood, reporting seven deaths in Borno as of Saturday. Madu also mentioned challenges in Maiduguri, including inadequate serving materials and wash facilities due to the high number of people in the camp.

Mrs Emmanuela Offiong, Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, stressed the need for proper fact-checking and communication on disaster management to avoid disinformation and misinformation.

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Environment

Maiduguri flood is an unprecedented incident- NEMA

Aerial view shows houses submerged under water in Maiduguri on September 10, 2024. (Photo by Audu MARTE / AFP)

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has described Tuesday’s flash flood in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital as an unprecedented incident.

Flood water from an overflowing dam destroyed thousands of homes in the Northeastern Nigeria city, with emergency officials fearing the situation could get worse.

“It is an unprecedented incident,” NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo told AFP on Tuesday. “Some of the central parts of the city that have not witnessed flood in so many years are witnessing it today.”

A general view of flood water surrounding a building in Maiduguri on September 10, 2024. (Photo by Audu MARTE / AFP)
Thousands of homes have been submerged by the rapid rise of waters after the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Maiduguri.

“The last three days have over 150,000 individuals with over 23,000 households affected,” said NEMA zonal coordinator Surajo Garba.

But with more locations being hit, “we are sure the figure will be much over 200,000 individuals,” Garba forecast.

“The flood, which began over the weekend and worsened in the following days, was the direct result of excess water from the Alau Dam,” said Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who hails from Maiduguri as he visited the area.

“The collapse of the spillways unleashed a significant surge of water downstream, causing widespread flooding in the surrounding communities,” added Shettima.

The flood also inundated the city’s post office and main zoo, with authorities warning that “deadly animals has been washed away into our communities (sic).”

Social media showed pictures of an ostrich which had supposedly escaped from the facility wandering the streets of the city.

Manzo said forecasts did not prepare the emergency workers for the extent of the flooding, while also blaming the impact of climate change for the “disaster”.

He told AFP that there were deaths as a result of the incident but declined to give a specific number as rescue workers continue rescue operations in the affected areas.

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Environment

Roads, houses submerged, many displaced as flood ravages Maiduguri

Major roads, houses, and shops in Maiduguri metropolis, the Borno State capital, and parts of the Jere Local Government Area have been submerged by floodwaters.

The Shehu’s Palace, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and Sanda Kyarimi Park Zoo were some of the public infrastructure submerged by flood.

A prison wall located along the Custom area was broken by flood as some inmates allegedly drowned while several others escaped for their lives.

Major roads within the state capital including the Post-Office Roundabout which links major locations in the capital are flooded thereby cutting off vehicular movement within the metropolis.

The Abbaganaram, Custom Road along which the flooded prison is located, Tashan Bama, Custom Road, Monday Market, Gamboru Market Custom Area, Cattle Market in old Maiduguri, Gwange area, Lagos Street are all communities affected by the flood.

The Maiduguri Zoo’s popularity known as Sanda Kyarimi Zoo Park was flooded too. The General Manager of the zoo, Ali Abatcha, said 80% of the animals in the zoo have been killed by the flood while the others have escaped into the city capital.

Thousands of residents living along waterways and flood-prone areas have been displaced, the majority of whom are women and children.

Several shop owners and small-scale businesses are also affected by the flood.

Touring across safer areas within Maiduguri, thousands of women and children are relocating along with their belongings.

Many of them are seen taking refuge under trees at the major roads.

Apart from large volume rainfall being experienced this year, the flood, according to multiple sources, is a result of leakage of the bank of Alo Dam, a major source of water supply to Maiduguri which draws its source from River Ngadda in Cameroon and the Lake Chad.

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