York park closes due to rising river levels – as two flood warnings are issued for the city

A York park will be closed tomorrow as river levels rise.

Rowntree Park will be shut all day on Tuesday, 14 March “due to a high river level prediction”, the Friends of the park said today.

The York Explore Reading Café at the park will remain open, accessed via Richardson Street.

It comes as two flood warnings and two flood alerts are issued for York, as snow melts further upstream and swells the river.

The warnings (act now) are for

• Riverside properties – Areas most at risk include properties on King’s Staith in York and riverside areas through York from Lendal Bridge to Millennium Bridge. Flooding is affecting properties on King’s Staith in York and riverside areas through York from Lendal Bridge to Millennium Bridge from midnight on Tuesday. Levels will continue to rise steadily overnight into tomorrow (Tuesday) and are set to peak at 3.88m by 10pm.

• Naburn Lock – Areas most at risk include Naburn Lock buildings and Lock cottages.

The alerts (be prepared) are for

• Upper River Ouse – Areas most at risk include riverside footpaths and low-lying land in York and to the south as far as Naburn Lock, including Kings Staith, Queens Staith, and South Esplanade.

• Tidal River Ouse from Naburn Lock to Selby – Flooding is forecast to affect locations near the River Ouse, with low lying land expected to be most affected, particularly around the tidal foreshore and agricultural land adjacent to the river in the Cawood, Kelfield, Wistow and Selby areas.