JANUARY FREEZE
UK weather: Travel chaos with 250 flood warnings still in place across England as Brits face temperature dropping to -6C
Fears cold warning could increase the chances of death
MORE flood and travel chaos is set to hit the UK today as temperatures look to plunge below freezing.
The country has been drenched this week, with more than 1,000 houses flooded as rivers burst their banks.
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Thousands of Brits were also forced to flee their homes as floodwaters rose, with photos showing the sheer devastation caused.
Storm Henk has now claimed two lives after a man and woman were killed in separate smashes on Tuesday and thousands of homes have been flooded.
The news of the woman's tragic death was revealed on Thursday afternoon, as floodwaters continued to rise and the Met Office warned more rain was on the way.
This morning, 245 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, remained in place across England, while almost 260 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, were also in place.
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Rail companies have warned there could be delays and cancellations across the UK, too.
Downpours in Cambridgeshire meant replacement buses, in use due to flooding on the line, were unable to reach St Neots and Huntingdon railway stations overnight.
The company said Network Rail was working to repair damage caused by a landslip near Arlesey in Bedfordshire on Thursday, along with planned engineering works.
They said they hoped the lines will reopen by the start of Monday with a bus replacement service in place until then.
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Great Western Railway said it had suffered "significant disruption" to its services after flooding near Chipping Sodbury - and the line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway is expected to remain closed through the weekend.
The line between Theale and Taunton is likely to remain today with services continuing on alternative routes.
South Western Railway, which saw much of its network affected on Friday including a landslip in Crewkerne, Somerset, said there was a "good service" today.
Elsewhere, roads have been closed in and around Gloucester due to flooding and Gloucestershire.
Jason Kelly, a Met Office chief forecaster, said Brits would feel the mercury drop in coming hours.
He said: “The transition to lower temperatures will be noticeable over the weekend.
"It will become rather cold next week with lower-than-average temperatures across much of the UK, accentuated by brisk easterly winds in the south.
“As the prevailing weather conditions will be characterised by high pressure, a good deal of settled weather is likely.
"Clearer skies and a marked reduction in precipitation are expected, although any showers that do occur are likely to be wintry in nature.
TEMPERATURES PLUNGE
"A combination of overnight freezing temperatures, saturated ground and calm winds mean increasing risks of frost, fog and icy conditions.”
And tonight is set to be a cold one for Brits.
The Met Office said the mercury was likely to dip to -4C in parts of rural south-west England.
Forecasters said that there was also a chance the temperatures would drop to -6C in rural areas along the Welsh border in Shropshire and north Herefordshire tomorrow night.
It comes after the Environment Agency said more than 1,000 homes had been evacuated amid Storm Henk.
On Thursday, a London party boat sank just after midday.
The Bar & Co boat, which acts as a floating bar, restaurant and nightclub, sank into the River Thames - with everyone on board luckily escaping.
A spokesperson for the boat, which was moored at Temple Pier said: "Likely it sunk because of weather conditions."
'CHANCE OF DEATH'
Yesterday morning crews were seen assessing the remains of the vessel in the Thames.
In the hours that followed, floodwaters could be seen rising around riverside homes in Henley-on-Thames.
On Thursday night fire crews were rushed to the capital's Hackney Wick after floodwaters rose.
Shocking photos showed submerged cars, while locals could be seen wading through the brown water.
Elsewhere, swollen rivers overflowed into paddocks and gardens in Cambridgeshire, while a narrowboat was seen on its side in Barrow on Soar.
A cold warning is also now in place for much of the UK, with fears it could increase the chances of death.
It comes as Brits were warned of travel chaos, with train companies servicing parts of the country warning of delays and cancellations.
It came after were warned not to travel after the weather caused chaos on roads and rail.
'GRABBING EVERYTHING'
On Thursday, residents were evacuated from homes after flooding in Nottinghamshire led to a major incident being declared.
They were forced to flee after the River Trent rose to near-record levels, with Nottinghamshire County Council warning homeowners to take care.
Elsewhere, a dad on Thursday told The Sun how he and his family were forced upstairs with their seven-month-old baby as floodwaters lapped at their door.
Jacob Davidge, 27, said he, his wife Shompa, their baby Isaiah and family watched on in fear as the water continued rising at their Loughborough home in the middle of the night.
The dad said they frantically moved their possessions from the bottom story of their home, to the top, in the hopes of saving them.
Jacob said even today, almost two days on, the family is still waiting for the floodwaters to leave the home.
He told The Sun: "We were grabbing everything and anything really.
"At 3am it was at our knees. We weren't sure the height the water would reach.
"It was quite hard to gauge - we ended up using the letterbox as a gauge."
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Jacob, who is trying to raise money through to replace the lost possessions, added: "It's bittersweet. Everyone's devastated that the home's ruined.
"Also, we're lucky we're safe and OK."
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