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Millennium Bridge now inaccessible

The Millennium Bridge is out of bounds for the time being.

At 8.46am Kate Ravilious from the York Cycle Campaign tweeted that it was no longer accessible to pedestrians and cyclists:

That means all of the riverside walking and cycling paths are out of bounds for now. This is from Is it flooded?, the footpath guide created by Richard Lane that we reported on yesterday.

‘If it goes above 4.8m some areas will experience flooding.’

Cllr Paula Widdowson

City of York Council executive member for the environment Cllr Paula Widdowson was on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning.

She told presenter Justin Webb: “The city of York is at the confluence of two rivers. We’re used to flooding – it floods two, three, four times a year in our city.

“We have all of our operations in process. All of the pumps, the flood defences, are all up and running and have been since two or three days before Storm Ciara.

“And the city is well and truly open for business.

“In fact we’ve had significant numbers over the weekend enjoying our Viking Festival.”


He asked her if she was concerned about what happens next.

  • Of course we’re concerned about later today. The Environment Agency are forecasting that the river will get up to 4.8m.

    At 4.8m our defences hold. If it goes above 4.8m there are some areas where we will experience flooding.

    We are very prepared to cope with it. You know the stories from York – and we have learned all of our lessons from York.

    Our operations teams have absolutely worked wonders. They’ve been working 24/7 for nearly ten, 12, days now. And they’ll continue to do so.

Rachael Maskell: ‘The barriers are holding, which is good news’

York Central MP Rachael Maskell at Tower Gardens this morning. Photograph: YorkMix

York Central MP Rachael Maskell was out early this morning looking at the river levels.

She told YorkMix: “We think we’ve got about another half metre for the river to rise through the day.

“But the barriers from what I can see are holding, which is good news.

“People obviously need to keep themselves safe. That river’s incredibly dangerous. It’s contaminated as well. So don’t go near near the river.”

York Cycle Campaign #Ad
She described this morning as “that moment of anticipation. It’s waiting to see what happens later in the day.”

As regards the River Foss, the Foss Barrier and other defences were working “so people in that catchment should have a sigh of relief today”.

People are very stressed
Ms Maskell has been talking to residents in high-risk areas. “People are very stressed – the anticipation not knowing what’s coming,” she said.

“Some of the communications were a bit lagging – people were out buying pumps and sandbags, and then to find that a barrier appeared at the end of the road. So I think we can learn from some of that.”


She said people were rightly angry that resilience measures had not been put in place, four years after the Boxing Day floods.

  • My job when I go back is to put the pressure on government again. Things like insurance still needs sorting out for leaseholders and businesses.

    And there are other things that need putting in place – not least the upper catchment management, which will really stop the amount of water coming downstream in the first place.

And the MP praised York for working together during a tough week.

“I think the city’s come together incredibly well. The council, the Environment Agency, the police and other agencies working very closely, looking out for vulnerable individuals at this time.

“So I would say it’s been a good operation. And most importantly, the residents themselves, they’ve come out and supported one another and worked together in their communities to make sure everyone else is safe.”

There are currently 10 flood warnings in and around York

An update on the flood warnings. As at 7.55am, the Flood Information Service had issued 10 flood warnings in and around York.

A flood warning means, ‘flooding is expected – immediate action required’.

They are:

There are also six flood alerts – ‘flooding is possible’ – which you can see here.

BBC Breakfast report from city with York Rescue Boat

BBC Breakfast’s Jayne McCubbin has been reporting live from York this morning.

She talked to David Wilson from York Rescue Boat about his team’s readiness to help should the flooding get worse.

He told Jayne:

  • The river’s got another half metre to rise throughout the day.

    We’re concerned for some of the low-lying properties but, all the rest of it, York’s still open for business.

It’s looking hopeful that York will escape major flooding

Sources: Flood Information Service

The latest update issued at 8am by the Flood Information service shows:

  • the River Ouse level in the city centre is at 4.38m
  • it is expected to peak at 4.5m at 10.45am today (Monday, 17 February).

You can see our picture gallery of the river this morning here.

Floods transport latest 2: Bus operators accept each others’ tickets

Photograph: YorkMix

Bus operators in York have teamed up to accept each other’s tickets from Monday (17 February) to help people hit by disruption caused by flooding in and around the city.

The scheme will cover all routes within the York A1237 ring road until Tuesday evening, when it will be reviewed against information and updates from authorities, the Environment Agency and weather forecasters.

The operators are: Arriva Yorkshire, York Pullman, Reliance, Transdev York, Connexions, East Yorkshire Buses and First York.

Speaking on behalf of the York Quality Bus Partnership, MD of First York Marc Bichtemann said:

  • All operators have agreed to this initiative, which is a great example of how we can work together to help customers.

    It is very likely that flooding will affect a number of routes and this is simple and sensible action we can take together to help people deal with adverse conditions on the roads around York.

All ticket types will be accepted including digital products on smartphones and pre-paid smartcards.

“In agreeing to do this all operators are also able to support the huge efforts of our drivers, who often go above and beyond in already difficult conditions,” said Marc Bichtemann.

Floods transport latest 1: The York roads that are closed

According to City of York Council these are the roads affected:

  • Clementhorpe has a flood defence closing the road just after the junction with River Street
  • Peckitt Street is now a dead end due to the defences.
  • The B1222 in Naburn is now closed with signage in place, due to floodwater. The no42 Arriva bus service will now be diverted.
  • Skeldergate has been closed this afternoon (Sunday 16 February) for several hours while the EA deploys additional sandbags to the area. This will reopen as soon as possible
  • Main Street in Nether Poppleton will close this afternoon (Sunday 16 February) due to river flooding. The no10 First bus service will be diverted.
  • Millennium Bridge will be closed as water levels rise, and will be monitored closely

The council added:

  • Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists are asked not to enter or travel through flood water.

    We have tankers on standby for any surface water flooding incidents that occur this evening. We cleared several fallen trees yesterday and pumped clear some surface water.

Council update: 4,000 sandbags deployed, York open for business

The council has pumps in place at Tower Gardens, Clementhorpe and Fulford. Photograph: City of York Council on Twitter

City of York Council has issued an update on the flood defence situation in the city.

It reiterates that the Environment Agency says levels on the River Ouse in York are set to peak on Tuesday afternoon (18 February) with current forecasts showing a potential river level of up to 4.8 metres.

These forecast levels may continue to change as the impact of overnight rain makes its way into water channels.

So far the council has:

  • deployed a total of 4,000 sandbags and 200 one tonne sandbags across the city to help protect the most vulnerable properties
  • worked with communities at Naburn to build defences and provided 480 sandbags and 21 one tonne sandbags
  • spoken to residents and built a new defence at Butcher Terrace, Cameron Grove and Terry Street in Clementhorpe
  • Clementhorpe defences have been raised (staffed 24/7 with additional sandbags provided if needed)
  • worked with the communities around Alma Terrace and Holly Street in Fishergate
  • put all flood defences in place and, since Storm Ciara the council has created new flood defences at Bishopthorpe and strengthened the Peckitt Street and Tower Gardens defences (Tower Gardens is being staffed 24/7 with additional sandbags provided if needed)
  • additional pumps and defences have been placed at the A19 and Germany Beck junction.

Council leader Keith Aspden said:

  • We’ll continue to spend the weekend strengthening our flood defences to protect as many homes and businesses as possible.

    York is very much open for business and as we move into half-term week, we’re encouraging everyone to visit our fantastic city, which always has much to offer.

More pictures of York’s flood defences

Rachael Maskell MP inspects the flood defences on Clementhorpe, York. Photograph: Cllr Jonny Crawshaw on Twitter

Cllr Jonny Crawshaw has been out and about around South Bank today.

He took these picture of the flood defences in Butcher Terrace, Clementhorpe and Cameron Grove.

Environment Secretary visits York to assess the flood defences

Environment Secretary George Eustice at the Foss Barrier. Photograph: Defra on Twitter

The new Environment Secretary visited York today (Sunday), to see the efforts being made to minimise flooding.

He met residents, councillors and Environment Agency staff to talk about tackling flooding. He also visited the Foss Barrier, such a key component in York’s defences. The chair of the Environment Agency Emma Howard Boyd accompanied the minister.

Mr Eustice, appointed by Boris Johnson in the last Cabinet reshuffle, also talked to York Central MP Rachael Maskell.

“He came to York to learn about what’s been happening across the city – obviously concerned with Storm Dennis and the impact the flooding’s going to have across the city,” she told Minster FM’s David Dunning.

“We were reflecting what’s happened over four years back to him, and the fact that a lot of the resilience measures we were expecting haven’t been put in place.

“But we obviously praised the Foss Barrier, the fact that it’s working well this evening is good news.”

Ms Maskell said she had arranged a futher meeting with Mr Eustice in Westminster.

Videos: More flood defences arrive

Minster FM head of news David Dunning has been out and about in the city centre.

He’s captured the latest from the front line of York’s flood defences.

Urgent appeal for sandbags to protect RSPCA animal home in York

The RSPCA Animal Home on Landing Lane. Photograph: RSPCAYork / Facebook

The next victim of the floods in York could be the RSPCA Animal Home.

The rescue kennels are next to the River Ouse on Landing Lane. All donations will be warmly welcomed.

If you can help, take sandbags to the home. All the contact details are on the home’s website.

Live flood gauges for the River Ouse and Foss

Here are the live gauges for the Foss and Ouse from the Gauge Map website.

They show the river levels and are automatically updated every hour.

River could peak at 5m

The River Ouse is now being forecasted to peak between 4.8m and 5m.

In a Tweet the Environment Agency said:

  • We are expecting the River Ouse in York to peak around 4.8-5m on Tuesday morning. Floodgates are closed in York and the #FossBarrier is operational.

    We are closely monitoring the situation. Please avoid using low lying footpaths and roads near local rivers

Work continues on York flood defences

Work on the flood defences. Photograph: Gwen Swinburn on Twitter

This picture was taken by Gwen Swinburn at about 1.30pm today.

More work is underway to bolster the city centre’s flood defences as the river moves towards a predicted peak of 4.8m on Tuesday morning.

2pm update on York river level

This from the Flood Water Information Service regarding the River Ouse in York city centre:

Latest recorded level 3.64m at 2:00pm Sunday 16 February 2020.

Cycle and footpath guide

Based on people’s experiences shared on Twitter Richard Lane has created a guide to which walking and cycling routes are open and which are closed in York.

Click on the link in the Tweet to see it.

Multi-agency team managing response to Storm Dennis

The response to Storm Dennis in York and North Yorkshire is being managed via the area’s Local Resilience Forum.

Led by North Yorkshire County Council, it also includes North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, City of York Council, Northern Power Grid, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Mountain Rescue teams and the Coast Guard.

Superintendent Sam Millar of North Yorkshire Police said:

  • By sharing real time information and the latest forecasts and impacts we have helped communities to be prepared and it’s inspiring to see how they have responded. Sandbagging, offers of loans of 4×4 vehicles, contingency planning and community spirit have been evident in many areas.

    We are not out of the woods yet so please continue to help us by looking after yourself, your property and your communities and keeping up to date with the latest information.

    Particularly important is the need to adhere to road closed signage. We are still getting reports that some people are driving past them or removing them.

Drivers urged to stay out of flood water after North Yorkshire rescue

Photograph: North Yorkshire Police

The emergency services are urging drivers not to chance flooded roads.

Several roads in the county remain underwater.

Group manager at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Lee Smith, said:

  • There may be a view that because the rain is easing away the problem is over – that’s not the case and the impact of the rainfall will continue to become apparent over the next hours and days.

    We appeal to the public to continue to stay safe and to heed all warning signs and messaging.

It comes as Tadcaster fire crews were called to an incident at Cattal this afternoon:

Latest forecast puts predicted peak of River Ouse at 4.8m

The Flood Warning Information Service issued an update at 11.45am today (Sunday).

This put the River Ouse level at 3.55m.

And the good news in – the forecasted peak has been reduced. It is now expected to reach its peak on Tuesday morning, at 4.8m – this from Cllr Jonny Crawshaw:

Here’s a Sunday morning update

The levels at 9am. Image: Flood Warning Information Service

Here’s an update of what we know so far about Storm Dennis and the possible impact on York.

City is open
At the moment the flooding is still limited to the river banks.

The city centre is unaffected and open for business with lots of half term activities to enjoy.

River Ouse levels to rise
City of York Council set out an update on Saturday night to say that the heavy rainfall had caused the Ouse to start rising again.

This means:

  • a potential river level of up to 5.2m
  • a worst-case level of 5.4m – matching the all-time record of November 2000
  • the Ouse is expected to peak on Monday evening (17 February)
  • as at 9am on Sunday the river was at 3.42m.

The council has deployed more than 1,000 sandbags and is focusing this morning on the highest risk properties in Naburn, Clementhorpe, Fishergate and Bishopthorpe.

Updated weather warnings
There’s an updated yellow warning for wind for Yorkshire and Humber, from 10am today (Sunday) to 11am tomorrow. Gusts of 50-60mph are likely.

An amber warning for rain remains in force over York till 3pm today. The forecast is for a largely dry afternoon between 2pm and 6pm, with some showers in the evening.

9.30pm update: River could peak at 5.4m

The council issued an update shortly before 9.30pm this evening.

It said:

The Environment Agency (EA) has confirmed levels on the river Ouse in York are forecast to be close to the levels in 2000. Current forecasts from the EA are showing a potential river level of up to 5.2metres and a worst case level of a potential 5.4metres.

The EA expects the river to peak on the evening of Monday 17 February. Conditions remain unsettled with further rain forecast over the next 48 hours which could result in changes to the levels and peak timings. The Environment Agency river forecasters will continue to monitor the situation 24/7 and provide further updates.

You can read our full story here.

Video: Floodwaters cut off Cawood Road

Here’s one road that is impassable – the video was taken by York Dweller @jbrownridge on Twitter and posted shortly before 6pm on Saturday (15 February).

There’s signage in place about 50m before this stretch.

According to North Yorkshire County Council: Cawood Road is closed Stillingfleet (at crossroads of Church Hill, Stillingfleet) to Cawood Bridge and also from Mount Pleasant Farm to Kellfield.

You can see the full list of the county’s road closures here.

The River Ouse is rising

Confirmation that the River Ouse is on the rise:

Video: The river’s high but the city centre is fine

Minster FM news editor David Dunning is out and about in York city centre this afternoon.

His video shows that the River Ouse is certainly high but contained. The rest of the city is fine, if a little wet and blustery.

Council workers are shoring up York’s defences

York council workers shoring up York's defences. Photograph: Gwen Swinburn on Twitter

Here are some of the City of York Council frontline team working to make sure York’s defences are ready for Storm Dennis.

The pictures come from Gwen Swinburn on Twitter.

They show Lee, Mark and Dave working on Tower Street on Saturday lunchtime.

Photograph: Gwen Swinburn on Twitter

MP tells national radio ‘York still doesn’t have the flood defences it needs’

York MP takes to the national airways to berate city flood defences

York Central MP Rachael Maskell was on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning talking about the city’s flood defences, four years after the Boxing Day floods.

She told the programme:

  • Four years on, we still don’t have the defences our city needs. That’s unacceptable.

    We haven’t seen the government putting the upper catchment management in place, slowing the flow of the river.

    I have already challenged the government last week after Storm Ciara about their failure to address those areas which flood.

Met Office issues new yellow warning for wind affecting York

The Met Office weather warnings map issued 15 February

The Met Office issued an updated weather alert at 10.19am which affects York.

The update is to the existing yellow weather warning for wind in the area, running from 10am on Sunday and noon on Monday.

It is in addition to the amber warning for rain in our area.

The update reads:

Storm Dennis will bring some very strong winds and transport disruption during Sunday and into Monday morning.

What to expect

  • Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely
  • Probably some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
  • Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges likely
  • Some short term loss of power and other services is possible
  • It’s likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities affected by spray and/or large waves

Rail services affected

Here’s the latest from the rail companies in our area:

LNER
Speed restrictions will be in place across the network on both days. As a result, extended journey times, short-notice delays and cancellations are expected.

LNER expect services to be extremely busy throughout the weekend, so they are encouraging customers with LNER tickets dated for travel on Saturday 15th February or Sunday 16th February, to defer travel to Monday 17th February where possible. Please travel as close to the original time as stated on your ticket.

Details of cancelled services can be found here.

Grand Central
A normal service is expected to run this weekend, however some trains may experience delays due to the forecast weather conditions.

Northern
Disruption is expected across much of the Northern rail network this weekend as Storm Dennis is set to arrive on Saturday afternoon. Northern customers are asked to check before travelling and to allow extra time for journeys this weekend. From 17:00 today until 10:00 tomorrow the line between Hebden Bridge and Rochdale will be closed. Customers are advised NOT TO TRAVEL on this route. More here.

TransPennine Express
If you are planning to use the rail network this weekend, we strongly advise that all customers check the status of your service before travelling and be prepared for delays. Full details here.

Current flood warnings and alerts

The two flood warnings in place on the morning of 15 February. Image: Flood Warning Information Service

There are currently two flood warnings and four flood alerts around York.

Flood warnings (flooding is expected – be prepared):

  • River Ouse at Naburn Lock (7.44am): “Further rain associated with Storm Dennis is forecast on Saturday and Sunday 16.2.20 which will cause levels to rise again. Access roads into Naburn are affected. We are closely monitoring the situation and our Area Incident Room is open. Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded.”
  • River Ouse at York – riverside properties (7.48am): “Floodgates are closed in York and the Foss Barrier is operational. We are closely monitoring the situation and our Area Incident Room is open. Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses and plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers, which may be flooded.”

Flood alerts (flooding is possible – be prepared):

York City game is OFF

Fans on match day at Bootham Crescent. Photograph: YorkMix

Today’s game at Bootham Crescent has been called off.

York City FC announced on social media this morning that the 3pm fixture with Hereford FC was being postponed due to Storm Dennis.

The decision was taken after the club reviewed league guidance and was taken with “travelling supporters’ and players’ safety in mind”.

It does mean that Bootham Crescent is likely to host one more ‘final’ game under the floodlights.

Here’s some reaction:

The rain is here and atmosphere pressure is dropping

Here we go again…

Pressure is dropping fast and the rain is coming down – Storm Dennis is in town.

We’ll keep updating this blog with news from in and around York.

Here are some weather updates to start us off…

Motorbike caught fire outside house in York

Firefighters were called to a motorbike fire early today (Friday, 14 February).

Crews from York and Acomb were called out at 2.05am to the vehicle outside a house in York.

They extinguished using knapsack sprayers and buckets of water.

Level crossing barrier gets stuck

A level crossing barrier in York got stuck in the down position this morning, causing delays for motorists.

Both the Reliance and First York bus companies reported the problem with Millfield Lane automatic level crossing in Poppleton, at about 8.30am this morning (Tuesday).

It was reopened by 10.20am.

The River Ouse is due to peak early on Tuesday

The River Ouse on Monday. Photograph: Richard McDougall

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.”

Large tree in Acomb felled by Storm Ciara

The tree down on Acomb Green. Photographs: Gavin Aitchison

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).

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

Photograph © Canislupus / Pixabay

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.

Flood alert issued for River Foss catchment

Image: Environment Agency

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:

York readies its defences as flood alert issued for River Ouse

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

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.”

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

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

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.



Fallen tree cleared from Stockton Lane

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

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.

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: