As it happened: Severe warning removed but East Midlands flood disruption continues

Summary

Widespread flooding disruption continues across the East Midlands
A severe, danger-to-life warning was in place at caravan parks on the River Soar in Leicestershire but has since been removed
The fire service, which declared a major incident on Monday, said there were 42 residents at flood-hit Proctors Park - 19 of whom chose to evacuate
In total, crews have rescued 59 people and evacuated 209 homes in the county
Temperatures are set to dip below freezing, with cold weather set to continue until Friday
Meanwhile, East Midlands Ambulance Service declared its first ever critical incident, partly due to demand caused by the flooding

Live Reporting

Edited by Alex Smith

Country park at Holme Pierrepont shuts due to rising river levelspublished at 14:21 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Jude Winter
BBC News
Image source, Google
The country park at Holme Pierrepont has closed until further notice due to the rising river levels.
The Holme Pierrepont White Water Course Facebook page said the decision was made to "help keep our visitors and colleagues safe".
As well as the park, the Regatta Lake and White Water Course and paths situated near the course are also shut.
The gym and campsite remain open.
What's the latest on the buses in Nottinghamshire?published at 14:05 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
Trentbarton says its Rushcliffe Villager service cannot use the road between Shelford and Gunthorpe.
The Shelford Village stop cannot be served currently.
Stagecoach said its 28 bus could not serve Rolleston and Fiskerton due to flooding, and instead was operating via the A616 to Kelham.
But the Pronto service from Nottingham to Chesterfield is back to its timetabled route along the A617.
Rest centres in Blaby openpublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
Rest centres for people affected by flooding in the Blaby district of Leicestershire are open in Whetstone and Braunstone today.
The council said these would be open until 15:00 for "warmth and support" for residents.
Drone footage shows extent of flooding in Leicestershirepublished at 13:46 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Chris Waring
BBC News
Drone footage, taken by the PA news agency, over Glen Parva in Leicestershire shows the extent of flooding as disruption continues across the county.
The Environment Agency said it expected river levels to remain high until Wednesday.
Barrow-upon-Soar flooding 'never as bad as this'published at 13:40 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
PA Media
Residents in Barrow-upon-Soar have said this week's flooding is the worst they can remember.
Neil Monteith, 49, owns a caravan on the front row of Proctors Park, which was surrounded by flood water on Tuesday morning.
He said he no longer lived in the caravan but expected the furniture inside would be damaged.
He said: "It is the highest I've seen it."
A woman who lives nearby said the flooding was "unprecedented".
She said: "I've never seen it as bad as this. It flooded last January but not like this.
"They put in new flood defences - it used to flood all the time then it stopped, but this is unprecedented.
"It's a flood plain, that's what it's for but they build houses on it and nobody will acknowledge it or accept it."
Flooded fields near Loughboroughpublished at 13:18 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Sara Palmer
BBC Radio Leicester
This is the view from the Midland Main Line as you approach Loughborough railway station.
But East Midlands Railway says despite yesterday's major disruption, today it is running to a "generally good" timetable.
Tickets for people who couldn't travel yesterday will be valid today.
How is the warming climate changing winters?published at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
BBC News
The world has warmed by more than 1C since the pre-industrial era. UK winters are changing as a result.
While the climate continues to warm overall, we will still see short-term extremes of both hot and cold weather - but cold extremes are likely to become fewer and further between.
Climate change will bring us more rain. A warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture, so more intense rainfall is expected to become an increasing feature of UK winters, along with a higher risk of flooding.
Watch: 'Never seen anything like it in 10 years' - Leicestershire business floodedpublished at 12:54 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
The CEO of an insurance company in Thurmaston, Leicestershire, has been telling our BBC colleagues about the impact of flood water at his business, which resulted in staff being sent home.
"Never seen anything like it in 10 years," Troy Stevens tells 5 Live Breakfast.
"Arriving to work yesterday was literally like a river coming down the road, into the car park, flowing through the doors of our office.
"We've probably not got a lot of sympathy being an insurance firm going through something like this, but it's put us in the mindset of anybody needing to make a claim in the future."
Snow in Buxton 'looks lovely'published at 12:46 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Matthew Barlow
BBC Radio Derby reporter
In Buxton, snow has smothered the area and a number of side roads are treacherous.
Resident Lynn Brookes said: "It looks lovely but it makes it harder for everybody getting about.
"I'm going to collect my grandson as the school is closed, we're going to take him in the park on his sledge.
"But we don't get as much snow as we used to, I don't think."
A1 southbound could reopen soonpublished at 12:33 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
National Highways has provided an update on the closure of the A1 near Newark in Nottinghamshire.
The southbound side is clear of flood water and in the process of being gritted, so should reopen to traffic soon.
Meanwhile, the northbound carriageway remains flooded with no estimate on when it will reopen currently.
Two people injured walking in floodspublished at 12:28 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
Two people were injured and had to be rescued from flood water by firefighters in Blaby on Monday afternoon, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has said.
They were attempting to walk through flood water and lost their footing, the service added.
A spokesperson said firefighters and paramedics attended the scene in Leicester Road, where the pair had to be rescued with a water raft.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service told BBC Radio Leicester on Tuesday morning that more than 380 calls had been made to fire control, 209 homes had been evacuated and 59 people had been rescued.
Bus diversion route in Nottinghamshire floodspublished at 12:20 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
Bad news for the South Notts 1 bus route - the diversion it had set up to avoid flooding in Stanford-on-Soar has now flooded as well.
To avoid Hoton and Cotes, the Nottingham City Transport bus will now travel between Nottingham, Clifton, Gotham and East Leake only.
Man rescued from flooded caravan park on raftpublished at 12:08 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
Image source, PA Media
Aerial shots have captured the rescue of a man on a raft at a flooded caravan park in Leicestershire.
He was pulled to safety at Proctors Park in Barrow-upon-Soar on Tuesday morning, with a danger-to-life warning still in place for the area.
The Environment Agency's severe warning for the River Soar means a large-scale evacuation is required to save lives.
The agency said an evacuation had been required overnight as levels rose at the Pillings Lock river gauge.
Image source, PA Media
Emergency meeting held in Quornpublished at 11:54 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Natasha Turney
BBC News, East Midlands
There are plenty of wellies and waders here in Quorn.
We're at the centre of the village, the Quorn Cross, which remains underwater - nearing two feet in some places.
Several homes have been affected and a couple of businesses have also been flooded. A team from the brewery at The White Horse is trying to do what they can to save some of the equipment inside.
Volunteer flood wardens were out in force this morning trying to deter cars from driving through the water.
The parish council held an emergency meeting just after 08:00 to work out a plan.
But the clean-up operation is not yet under way here, as the flood water is only expected to rise.
A617 in Nottinghamshire closed due to floodingpublished at 11:44 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Alex Smith
BBC News Online
Nottinghamshire Police says the A617 is closed between Newark Rugby Club and the Kelham Bridge junction due to flooding.
The force is asking motorists to plan alternative routes, with HGV drivers in particular urged to avoid the area.
Emergency services in action at flooded caravan parkpublished at 11:32 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Jude Winter
BBC News
Image source, PA Media
Emergency services have been pictured by the PA news agency rescuing people caught in flood water at a caravan park near Barrow upon Soar.
Rescuers can be seen carrying a boat towards the water.
Image source, PA Media
School and medical centre in Quorn closedpublished at 11:15 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
The Leicestershire village of Quorn is among the worst places for flooding today.
Rawlins Academy has taken the "tough decision to close".
A statement said: "We understand that it is the first day of term, and this is a difficult decision to make.
"But it has been taken for the safety and well-being for all involved, students, parents/carers, and staff."
Quorn Medical Centre is also closed.
Patients with appointments are asked not to travel to the surgery and to wait to be contacted over the phone.
Analysis: Pressure has been building at ambulance servicepublished at 11:03 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Rob Sissons
East Midlands Today Reporter
The first ever critical incident to be declared by East Midlands Ambulance Service - which was partly prompted by widespread flooding - occurred on Monday evening at 18:00.
The start of the year is never easy for the NHS, and a combination of the usual winter pressures, rising demand and flooding are the factors behind the declaration.
Pressure has been building at the service since November, with the usual strains seen in winter arriving earlier than in some previous years.
The trust remains concerned about the numbers of ambulances kept waiting outside hospitals to accept patients. There is extra emphasis put on emergency departments to accept patients as soon as possible.
Man wakeboards along flooded roadpublished at 10:56 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Alex Thorp
BBC News
The flooding has caused widespread disruption across Leicestershire, but one man saw it as an opportunity to go wakeboarding.
Footage taken by the BBC News helicopter captured him being pulled along by a vehicle on a flooded road near Birstall.
On Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident, warning the public to avoid flooded routes and "never to enter flood water".
A617 in Chesterfield reopenspublished at 10:47 Greenwich Mean Time 7 January
Isaac Ashe
BBC News, East Midlands
In Chesterfield, the floods on the A617 have been cleared, gritting has been carried out and the road has been reopened, Derbyshire County Council said.
Other roads that have also opened back up include the Awsworth Road in Ilkeston, and Breach Lane in Hatton.