Households in England urged to ‘charge phone’ and switch off electricity | UK

Households in England are being urged to charge their phones and turn off their power if they are expected to be affected by flooding or become flooded this week.

An amber weather warning has been issued for parts of England today due to very heavy rain and the risk of flooding. The cities of Oxford, Bath, Reading, Milton Keynes and Gloucester will be at particular risk, and from 8am until 9pm today.

A yellow rain warning is also in force for heavy rain and the risk of flooding across a much wider area of England, covering London, the whole of the south coast, the south east, all of the Midlands and all of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

People who are concerned about flooding in their area should follow flood and heavy rain advisories to charge their phone and stock up on battery power before the rains arrive, in case heavy rain and flooding could cause power outages.

And if a flood does arrive, it is recommended to turn off the electricity supply.

The Met Office’s guide to staying safe during floods says: “It’s never too late to take action and prepare for flooding. Follow these 6 simple steps to protect your home or business:

Check flood advice for your area to find out when and where flooding will occur. Charge mobile phones. Park your car outside the flood zone. Prepare a flood kit to help you cope if your home or business is flooded. Store valuables high, including electrical appliances, important documents and furniture. Turn off gas, water and electricity supplies.”

The Met Office forecast for Monday says: “An area of heavy rain is expected to affect central and southern England on Monday, becoming slower somewhere in the warning area for a few hours. It will then weaken and move eastwards late on Monday evening and overnight.

“Not all counties in the warning area will be equally affected, but it seems likely that some areas will see 60-80mm, with a few places receiving 120mm or more. Traffic disruption and some flooding are likely.