Region braced for further heavy rain

The county escaped the downpours which battered Wales, the South West and the South East yesterday.

Nearly a third of an inch of 
rain fell in an hour at Wisley in Surrey.

And efforts were underway yesterday to retrieve a stricken vessel off the coast of Aberdeen following the deaths of a sailor and the rescue of its remaining crew when it was hit by rough seas.

The 11 crewmen of the Vos Sailor were winched to safety in two helicopters responding to a mayday call early on Saturday morning and yesterday a tug boat was dispatched to bring the boat, adrift in the North Sea, back to shore.

In Yorkshire there were three flood alerts in place, the lowest category of Environment Agency warning, two on the River 
Ouse and one on the lower Derwent.

Met Office forecaster Alex Fox said today would be mainly dry, but with a chance of showers on higher ground.

Tomorrow would be the best day of the week, although foggy patches could linger in areas like the Vale of York.

On Wednesday, however, rain will push in from the west accompanied by strong winds, with the heaviest rain likely in the Pennines. “It may well start with fog patches before the rain gets in and the 
rain could be heavy at times,” he said.

The Environment Agency is monitoring the situation at 
Malton, where pumps are still operating following recent flooding.

Temperatures are expected to remain around average for this time of year, with a chance of frost in the morning tomorrow and on Wednesday.

In case of ice, two quad bikes are on hand in Leeds city centre to grit pavements. They have been bought by the NHS and are maintained and operated by the council.