Over 90 flood alerts in UK as heavy rain sweeps in

[July 06, 2012]  LONDON (AP) -- Over 90 flood alerts were issued Friday for central and northern England and Scotland as forecasters warned that intense rain may hit large swaths of the U.K.

Britain's Meteorological Office, the national weather agency, said downpours are likely from southwestern England all the way up north to Glasgow in Scotland and across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland. The Environment Agency, warning of a "potential danger to life," announced the alerts.

Britain is even more prone to flooding now following the wettest June on record.

"The risk of flooding over the next few days is expected to be the highest of the year so far," the Environment Agency said.

Met Office forecaster Tony Waters said some places could see up to 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain -- far more than the 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) that usually falls during the entire month of July.

Flooding was reported Friday morning in Howden and Rawcliffe in northern England. In Goole in northern England, emergency services rescued a man on a disability scooter from water up to a meter (3 feet) deep beneath an underpass.

Storm warnings also prompted the cancellation of Saturday's MFEST music festival in Leeds in central England. The Human League, Texas, Bob Geldof and Cher Lloyd had all been booked to perform.

[Associated Press]

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