[ad_1]
The named storm, which will arrive on Boxing Day, will follow a period of heavy rain that has caused banks to break and water courses to rise across the country.
And Bedfordshire police have warned that the arrival of Storm Bella accompanied by winds of 60 to 70 mph off the coast could put some homes in the north of the region at risk.
The force “strongly urged” residents living near the river in risky areas to seek alternative accommodation due to fear of flooding.
On Christmas Day, Superintendent Steve Ashdown, who is leading the response, said officers had visited just over 1,300 homes in the area the night before.
“The river is currently at elevated levels and we are predicting significant flooding by 8pm tonight,” he said in a video on Twitter.
“If you received one of those notices last night, you are in one of those properties that are most at risk from this flood. We recommend that you leave if it is safe for you to do so, as soon as you can.
“Appreciating that the timing of this on Christmas Day is not very good, but the risk to you and your family and your well-being is significant.”
The arrival of the storm follows relatively calm and cool conditions across the UK on Christmas Day, which saw snowfall in the early morning in some areas, including Leconfield in Humberside and Wattisham in Suffolk.
Superintendent Ashdown asked residents who are able to leave their homes to do so in a “Covid-safe” manner if possible, recommending that they go to one location and stay there until it is safe to return in the next few days.
It comes after the Environment Agency issued two severe flood warnings for the River Nene in Northamptonshire on Thursday, indicating a risk to life.
Across England, a total of 85 flood warnings and 110 flood alerts, as well as the two severe flood warnings, remained in effect at 4 p.m. on Christmas Day as large amounts of water flowed through the watersheds.
Northamptonshire Police continued to urge people to stay away from the Billing Aquadrome holiday park, after hundreds of people were evacuated on Christmas Eve due to high water levels in the River Nene.
Detective Superintendent Jamie Piscopo said: “Emergency services are working hard to ensure residents can return to the site as soon as possible, however it is currently not safe to do so.
“We urge you to stay away until it is safe to do so.”
Additional agency reports
