News and entertainment worth sharing – York and North Yorkshire

Storm Ciara – Live updates

We’ll keep you up-to-date on the impact of Storm Ciara as it lashes York and North Yorkshire.

Got any news? Send it to us at [email protected]

• Key updates

The River Ouse is due to peak early on Tuesday

The River Ouse is set to peak tomorrow (Tuesday), below its all time high.

According to York Central MP Rachael Maskell, the Ouse now expected to peak at 5am to the level of 4.2m.

She tweeted that this is the level it reached in early December 2015 with Storm Desmond. The one that brought the devastating Boxing Day floods that year was Storm Eva.

Graphic: Flood Warning Information Service

Her tweet at 2.19pm came shortly after this graphic from the Flood Warning Information Service, suggesting a peak at 5.45am of 4.42m.

Ms Maskell wrote: “The incident room at the Environment Agency is open. I thank the staff for their hard work over the weekend.”

The River Ouse on Monday. Photograph: Richard McDougall

Large tree in Acomb felled by Storm Ciara

Here’s another victim of Storm Ciara.

The high winds have felled a large mature tree on Acomb Green.

The tree, thought to be an oak, was photographed by Gavin Aitchison this morning (Monday).

The tree down on Acomb Green. Photographs: Gavin Aitchison

Travel disruption continues – trains cancelled, buses diverted

The weather is still causing transport disruption today.

It is causing problems on the trains, with a number of cancellations. Here’s where you can find the latest:


Grand Central says all there services are running, but are likely to be packed:

First York have a diversion on the no 10 route:

But Skeldergate is open, although this may change:

A round-up of the latest news is now live

Bright sunshine on Shambles right now, but it is pretty gusty and more rain is forecast.

On the main news site we have posted an update on the impact of the inclement weather today, which has closed Shambles Market among other places.

It also has links to all the flood warnings for York at the moment.

Sandbags deployed in three York locations as rivers set to rise to the highest levels since the 2015 floods

More on York readying its flood defences, first mentioned at 4.55pm.

City of York Council has issued a statement outlining the latest safety measures in the light of rising river levels.

“With river levels predicted to rise to the highest levels seen since the 2015 floods, the council has been putting in defences to protect those areas most affected,” it says.

That means putting sandbags in place at:

  • Clementhorpe
  • Tower Gardens
  • and Tower Place, which also gets a pump to clear water.

Flood boards have been installed at Peckitt Street.

Further measures like the closure of St George’s Field car park and Rowntree Park are likely to happen in the early hours of tomorrow, although plans will be revised if the forecasts change.

The River Ouse in York tonight. Photograph: Farson Digital Watercams
Councillor Paula Widdowson, executive member for climate change, said:

  • We’re expecting the river to reach high levels tomorrow afternoon, so a flood warning is now just a matter of when rather than if.

    As a city, we’ve spent a lot of time and effort preparing for flood risk so we can protect people and property so, by and large, we should be able to get on with daily life.

    We’re putting place the local and citywide flood defences, and any residents or businesses at risk of flooding should also put their own flood plans in place.

    It’ll be business as usual for York tomorrow, just take extra care on the roads and remember that riverside paths and cycle ways are likely to be affected as river levels rise.

Two useful websites – the council’s flood advice page, and the national flood warnings site.

Photograph © Canislupus / Pixabay

Flood alert issued for River Foss catchment

Unsurprisingly, we have more flood alerts from the Environment Agency.

It issued an alert for the River Foss catchment at 6.46pm.

The agency said:

  • River levels have risen and are likely to remain high overnight. Avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses.

    We are monitoring the situation closely.

There are now five flood alerts around York, concerning:

Image: Environment Agency

York readies its defences as flood alert issued for River Ouse

A flood alert has this afternoon (Sunday) been issued for the upper River Ouse.

And City of York Council says it is ready with its flood defence plan.

The flood alert was issued by the Environment Agency at 4.40pm, after the heavy rain brought by Storm Ciara. It says:

  • There has been widespread heavy rain accompanied by high winds throughout Sunday 09/02/2020, and we expect further patchy rainfall throughout the coming week. River levels are rising and are currently 1.8m at York Viking recorder and rising.

    We expect levels to rise above 4.5m mid-afternoon tomorrow Monday 10/02/20 and remain high into next week along the River Ouse catchment.

    Avoid using low lying footpaths near local water courses. We are monitoring the situation closely and expect to operate the Foss barrier.

City of York Council tweeted out: “With all this water around from #StormCiara, river levels are rising.

“We’re working with partners to monitor our rivers, and are ready to put in place our flood defence plans to protect our communities as the needs arise.”

Sandbags out at the entrance to Tower Gardens in York. Photograph: jaynetheunicorn on Twitter

More updates from around the city and beyond

Here are some more of the impacts of Storm Ciara near us, which has closed everything from cycle paths to museums and made driving treacherous. The worst of it appears to be in Pateley Bridge which has a severe flood warning.

Car hit by falling tree in York

These pictures show how a falling tree caused serious problems on a street in Tang Hall, York, earlier today.

The tree, brought down by Storm Ciara, hit a car on St Hilda’s Mews.

It struck a white Nissan Juke, causing damage to its roof and door. The car was being driven at the time. A witness said the driver was shocked but appeared otherwise unhurt, but had to be checked out by medics.

The tree blocked the road for some time but it has now been cleared away and the road is passable again.

Thanks to reader Kelly Maughan for the photos.



The aftermath of the fallen tree in St Hilda's Mews, Tang Hall. Photographs: Kelly Maughan

Fallen tree cleared from Stockton Lane

You can now get through on Stockton Lane.

A tree had fallen close to the mini-roundabout near the stray and was all but blocking the road.

But a City of York Council worker has done a great job of cutting back the tree and clearing the road.

A council worker clears the tree that was blocking Stockton Lane. Photograph: YorkMix

Flood risk information in York – update

Pedestrians and walkers are warned that riverside paths could soon be unusable in York.

This from City of York Council deputy leader Andy D’Agorne:

Videos: It’s a bit blowy out

This from York Twitter user Martin Hetherington:

And this from Ian at Money Alive:

Meanwhile the York Press‘s Daniel Willers is braving the city centre:

As Minster FM’s Ben Fry is seeing his garden transformed:

Fallen tree blocks Stockton Lane

A fallen tree is causing problems on Stockton Lane in York.

It was reported by Coastliner buses at 11.42am. The service is being diverted.

According to Twitter user Genius & Me it is blocking three quarters of the road.

Fulford Road closed due to flooding

Flooding has closed a key York road.

Fulford road is impassable at Germany Beck at the moment. Buses are being diverted.

Storm Ciara: Emergency services inundated by calls

Gale force winds and torrential rain are battering North Yorkshire today as Storm Ciara hits our neck of the woods.

North Yorkshire Police say their Force Control Room is being inundated with calls.

There is widespread flooding, particularly in the Skipton and Craven areas, trees are blocking roads and it’s generally not particularly safe out there.

North Yorkshire Police say:

  • No corner of the county has escaped today’s bad weather, and our Force Control Room and frontline officers have dealt with a large range and high volume of weather-related incidents.

    We’re working closely with other organisations including North Yorkshire’s Highways team to keep routes as clear as possible and divert motorists if absolutely necessary.

You can read the full story here.

We’ll keep updating our live blog with any news from York and around.

Flooding on the A684 near Hawes. Photograph: Thomas Beresford on Twitter