Isn't Christmas in lockdown bad enough? Britain is bracing for washout festive season as its battered by tail of US storm as Eden Project is forced to CLOSE as floods cause landslips
Britain will be battered by the tail-end of a US storm this week as vast swathes of the country prepare to spend a wet Christmas in Tier 4 lockdown.
There are currently 15 flood warnings in place across much of the south west and the midlands - with some alerts stretching as far as north Yorkshire.
Heavy showers over the past couple of days forced the Eden Project - a ecological visitors attraction in Tier 1 Cornwall - to shut.
The charity's official Twitter announced the site was forced to close 'due to significant flooding' overnight.
And the weather is unlikely to pick up much over the next few days as the country will be hit with remnants of the US's nor'easter storm, sending temperatures plummeting and bringing rain across the south.
The adverse weather will no-doubt come as a blow to the 18 million people in southern England who have been slapped with a stay-at-home order for Christmas day - even though Mr Johnson insisted just days ago that it would be 'inhuman' to axe five-day festive 'bubbles'.
London and the south east have been thrust into Tier 4, forcing all non-essential shops to shut. The rest of the country has seen the three-household Christmas 'bubbles' plan slashed from five days to just one - Christmas Day itself.
Britain saw a month's rainfall in just one day on Saturday after the country was battered with torrential downpours forcing a mass-evacuation at a caravan park in Cornwall and a coal tip in Wales to slip down the hillside
Heavy showers over the past couple of days have forced the Eden Project - a ecological visitors attraction in Tier 1 Cornwall - to shut
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The world-famous Eden Project suffered landslips caused by severe flooding overnight - forcing it to close today.
Bosses said there has been 'significant' flooding at the botanical gardens at Bodelva near Par. This caused several landslips, reports suggest, and people visiting the attraction are being turned away at the gates.
Managers said the closure was a precaution and the damage was being assessed - but the biomes have not been affected. No one has been injured.
Eden was built in the large crater in a former quarry and has suffered from previous floods.
The gardens have been open since December 3 when the county was put into Tier 1.
Simon Bellamy, who works at the Eden project, said the damage was 'significant' and added: 'We declared a major incident for our staff team here and in Eden's 20 years history this is significant.
'We are still quantifying things and assessing the damage. There is damage on site to the walls and flooding coming in to the site.'
It follows a weekend of torrential downpours which brought a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.
Devon saw 5.4 inches of rain yesterday alone - more than the 3.4in monthly average for England. Carmarthenshire, south Wales, was battered with 3.9 inches in just 24 hours.
Rainfall caused a coal tip in Rhondda Valley to start spilling down the side of a hill yesterday afternoon, prompting local authorities to order nearby residents to keep away.
And in the early hour's of Saturday morning, 18 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Cornwall amid mass flooding.
Meanwhile, a DPD delivery van driver stranded in flood water in Newbridge on Usk, in Wales, was rescued by emergency services who used a dinghy to cross the deep water.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: 'The US storm isn't anticipated to bring any major disruption to the UK but it will bring rain across southern areas for the next few days.'
And in the early hour's of Saturday morning, 18 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Cornwall amid mass flooding
Heavy overnight rain caused massive flooding near Ingatestone, Essex, this morning. The water reached the car's bumper
There are currently 15 flood warnings in place across much of the south west and the midlands - with some alerts stretching as far as north Yorkshire
Forecaster Marco Petagna told The Mirror: 'Remnants of the USA's nor'easter storm is heading our way.
'Then it trends colder in the run-up to the big day - and the chill may linger over the festive period.'
Following the coal slip yesterday, a Rhondda council spokesperson confirmed that there is no risk to houses in the area - but further movements could be imminent if the rain continues.
A statement read: 'Following site investigations carried out after the landslip that occurred this morning at the Wattstown tip, the Council is urging residents to stay away from the site.
'Whilst the landslip does not pose any risk to properties, there remains the possibility for further movement at the site and it is imperative that members of the public continue to stay away.
'The Council has been in discussions with both the UK and Welsh Governments for a number of months regarding this site, having identified the privately-owned tip at Wattstown as a priority following the review conducted in the aftermath of Storm Dennis, and the site had been placed under an increased monitoring regime in recognition of this.
Meanwhile, a DPD delivery van driver stranded in flood water in Newbridge on Usk, in Wales, was rescued by emergency services who used a dinghy to cross the deep water on Saturday
Heavy rainfall caused a coal tip in Rhondda Valley to start spilling down the hillside yesterday afternoon - prompting local authorities to order nearby residents to keep away
Following the coal slip yesterday, a Rhondda council spokesperson confirmed that there is no risk to houses in the area - but further movements could be imminent if the rain continues
Yesterday's caravan park flood in Cornwall saw a total of 18 people evacuated and subsequently rehomed - with 50 caravans searched to check on the welfare of their occupants
Devon and Cornwall Police as well as Dartmoor and Cornwall Search and Rescue were also in attendance yesterday . The fire service called in 'water rescue units' from Devon after 35mm of rain fell in just 24 hours
'The Council has been in urgent discussions with the Welsh Government following the event and options are now being considered for securing the site.'
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan told Sky News that yesterday's rainfall figures went above what was 'well over what we would expect' in Whitebarrow, Devon, and Carmarthenshire, south Wales.
A total of 15 flood warnings are currently in place, urging Britons to take 'immediate action' to keep safe.
These cover areas including Notter Bridge in Cornwall, where a caravan site was evacuated yesterday.
Parts of Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire also have warnings, as does York and sections of the Lake District.
And the rain is unlikely to ease up into Christmas week itself with the west of the country bearing the brunt of the heavy showers - with hail and thunder predicted at times today.
The southwest will then see more persistent rain later on Sunday before spreading across much of England and Wales overnight, the Met Office confirmed.
Central and southern England will see heavy rain in intervals on Monday, with the afternoon bringing brighter spells.
People rushed to Twitter to share their pictures of the coal tip landslide in Wales which came after heavy rain this weekend
The river Usk broke its banks at Crickhowell, in Powys, Wales, as flooding continues to hit parts of the UK on Saturday
The river Usk broke its banks at Crickhowell, in Powys, Wales, on Saturday. This weekend brought torrential downpours to much of the UK
The warning raised fears of further landslips after 600 tons of rock fell from a 100ft cliff on Dorset's Jurassic Coast near Burton Bradstock yesterday
Flooded fields in Carmarthenshire on Saturday after the River Towy bursts its banks following torrential rain in parts of Wales
Strong waves crash against the Dorset coast at West Bay on Saturday as the Met Office issued rain warnings in the south west
The rest of the week will see a drop in temperatures further north as the weather becomes 'increasingly wintry'.
By Thursday, the UK will be hit with wide-spread frost as it gets even drier and colder.
Yesterday's caravan park flood in Cornwall saw a total of 18 people evacuated and subsequently rehomed - with 50 caravans searched to check on the welfare of their occupants.
Devon and Cornwall Police as well as Dartmoor and Cornwall Search and Rescue were also in attendance. The fire service called in 'water rescue units' from Devon after 35mm of rain fell in just 24 hours.
'At about 06:30 we were called to a property at the end of Lostwithiel which was flooding,' said firefighter Steve Strauss.
'Two people were taken out of there with two dogs, and we've now been pumping out ever since,' he added.
Weather warnings raised raised fears of further landslips after 600 tons of rock fell from a 100ft cliff on Dorset's Jurassic Coast near Burton Bradstock – 100 yards from songwriter Billy Bragg's £2.4million home and 300ft from a cafe.
No one was injured.