‘It’s been a total nightmare:’ Kate Garraway reveals part of her London home has been flooded after torrential rain amid husband Derek Draper’s recovery from coronavirus
- The presenter, 54, said the disruption had been a ‘total nightmare and nuisance’ as the lower areas of the home were left underwater
- The flooding is the latest blow for Kate as her husband Derek continues to recover at home from his lengthy battle with Covid-19
- Brian May and Simon Cowell also had parts of their homes damaged in the floods
- Torrential downpours and flash floods saw three inches of rain hit capital within just 90 minutes earlier this week
- Met Office issued a yellow weather warning as forecasters warned of flooding to roads and homes after
- Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here
Kate Garraway has revealed that part of her London home has been flooded after torrential rain earlier this week amid her husband Derek Draper’s recovery from coronavirus.
The presenter, 54, said the disruption had been a ‘total nightmare and nuisance’ as the lower areas of the home were left underwater.
It comes after music mogul Simon Cowell and Queen guitarist Brian May also had parts of their London properties damaged by the weather as townhouse basements were flooded.
Kate discussed her latest bad news alongside Charlotte Hawkins and weather man Alex Beresford on Friday’s GMB, saying: ‘My weather week has been…I have lived the weather of the week, Alex.’
Upset: Kate Garraway has revealed that her part of her London home has been flooded after torrential rain earlier this week amid her husband Derek Draper’s recovery from coronavirus
‘Severe flooding in the storms on Monday night so woke up on Tuesday morning to find…we live on a hill – so you come in the door at one level and you go down the steps to the back garden – everything underneath completely flooded.’
Charlotte then exclaimed ‘Oh no,’ before Kate added: ‘Completely flooded. Total nuisance. It”s been a total nightmare.’
The mother-of-two revealed that she had been helped by her close family members throughout the crisis, including husband Derek’s father.
Tough: The flooding is the latest blow for Kate as her husband Derek continues to recover at home from his lengthy battle with Covid-19 (pictured in hospital)
‘Thanks to Grandad, Derek’s dad, and Auntie Di, we have managed to clear it all out,’ revealed Kate.
The flooding is the latest blow for Kate as her husband Derek continues to recover at home from his lengthy battle with Covid-19 which previously proved near-fatal after he first fell sick last year.
Derek was released from the hospital in March this year after being first diagnosed in March 2020.
Stress: Kate discussed her latest bad news alongside Charlotte Hawkins and weather man Alex Beresford on Friday’s GMB , saying: ‘My weather week has been…I have lived the weather of the week, Alex’
Help: ‘Thanks to Grandad, Derek’s dad, and Auntie Di, we have managed to clear it all out,’ revealed Kate
X Factor boss Simon Cowell’s £15million mansion was also hit by ‘biblical’ flash flooding that caused millions of pounds of damage to properties and was earlier this week blamed on sprawling super-basements.
The 61-year-old TV and music star was spotted near his West London home as families and businesses dealt with the waters which had cascaded into homes, ruining treasured possessions and mementos and causing expensive damage.
Wearing his trademark plain black T-shirt and white shorts Mr Cowell seemed in reasonably good spirits on Tuesday despite hinting his home may have suffered from the floods.
Asked whether he had escaped the flooding, he admitted ‘not really, my house nearly floated away’.
Stormy: The conversation about the flooding at Kate’s home was prompted by weather man Alex Beresford’s predictions for the weekend
Sprawling super-basements dug beneath London’s homes have been blamed for the flooding.
The enormous underground caverns – popular with the wealthy wanting to expand their space – were criticised by experts and victims of the massive leaks as they counted the cost of the weather today.
Kensington and Chiswick were been particularly hard hit as three inches of rain made it the third wettest day for West London on record.
On Monday night flood waters also poured through the streets of Portobello Road in Notting Hill after nearly three inches of rain hit the capital in just 90 minutes and in Raynes Park, south London, cars were left abandoned in around 2ft of water after torrential downpours caused travel chaos and left homes and businesses flooded.
Oh dear: X Factor boss Simon Cowell’s £15million mansion was also hit by ‘biblical’ flash flooding that caused millions of pounds of damage to properties and was blamed on sprawling super-basements
Impact: Queen guitarist Brain May also had the lower parts of his property damaged during the flooding
Mess: Brian posted pictures online of the flood damage which ruined treasured photographs and mementos
Kate Garraway’s difficult year
TV presenter Kate has had a tough year after her husband Derek contracted coronavirus last March.
His lengthy battle with Covid-19 previously proved near-fatal after he first fell sick at the start of the pandemic.
Derek was released from the hospital in March this year.
Kate contracted coronavirus herself at the same time as Derek, but made a full recovery.
Derek was one of an estimated just five people in the world whose bodies have been damaged so much by Covid.
She shares two children Darcey, 14, and William, 11, with Derek.
And Kate has now had her London home flooded after torrential rain in southern England.
Meanwhile in Turnpike Lane, north London, people were spotted wading through the water in the streets as the heavy rain pelted down and flooded the roads.
Flooding expert and campaigner Mary Dhonau OBE told MailOnline flooding was caused by a jigsaw of different factors.
But the consultant, who has previously been chair of the National Flood Forum, said the rise of the ‘super-basement’ would have contributed.
Undeveloped grass and land can easily absorb heavy rain if and when it falls, soaking up the water like a sponge.
But if it has been removed it means there is nowhere for the liquid to go, causing flooding.
Ms Dhonau said: ‘There has got to be somewhere for the water to go. When there is rain it falls onto the ground and percolates in areas of the ground. Super-basements are being built where the water would naturally percolate.
‘There are other factors like climate change, but the more we take away permeable surfaces the more places will flood.
‘North Kensington is a prime example of land that would have soaked up water, which is now being used for super basements.
‘It is a jigsaw of things that can cause flooding. You can do things to make flooding more likely and one of those things is using more land for super-basements.’
Angry: Brian blamed deep basement extensions that have been built for causing problems with drainage of excess water (pictured are memorabilia he tried to save from the floods)
Queen guitarist Brian May, who also lives in the area, said he was heartbroken and devastated after coming back to the ‘horror’ of finding his basement flooded with a sewage overflow which destroyed carpets, rugs and precious photos and memorabilia from over the years.
Brian, 73, who is married to former Eastenders actress Anita Dobson, 72, posted a video on his Instagram to show the extent of the ‘disgusting’ damage in their £7million home.
He admitted he didn’t ‘know where to start’ as he showed off the ‘stuff’ including ancient photos from his childhood strewn and dirtied everywhere at the bottom floor of their house.
Shock: A manhole exploding during flooding in London yesterday on corner of Netheravon Rd and Chiswick High road
Devastating: This home in Maida Vale and its glass door showed exactly how much water had fallen in the capital on Monday
He said: ‘Just when you think everything is ok, nothing else is going to bite you, you can deal with life’
‘It feels like we were have been invaded, desecrated. Anita had a lifetime of memorabilia on the floor of our basement – and most of it is sodden and ruined. I had rescued all my most treasured childhood photo albums and scrapbooks from my studio house because it was threatened with a forest fire some months ago.’
‘Where did I put it all for safety ? In the basement here in Kensington. Irony. Today it turned into a sodden mess.’
‘Historically, for 150 years, Kensington has never flooded due to rainwater. Why did this happen ? It’s almost certainly the result of all the basement building that has been plaguing this area for the past 10 years.
‘The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council was warned years ago that sinking so many deep basement extensions would obstruct the aquifers underneath our living space and render the drainage system ineffective.’
This London home saw the washing machine almost completely submerged by the flood water from the heavy rainfall
A motorist wades to safety after a freak flash flood submerged the road outside Westfield London on Monday evening
Storeholders around Portobello Road, West London start the clear up after torrential rain and flash flooding caused damage
The study by Newcastle University found 4,650 basement have been approved for homes in London in just a decade
Plans for billionaire Foxtons founder Jon Hunt’s basement at his £15million home on Kensington Palace Gardens
In recent years researchers at Newcastle University found there were 785 large basements – going at least two storeys under the house, or one storey far under the garden, in the study carried out for The Guardian .
A further 112 were ‘mega basements’ – at three storeys in depth or two far under the garden. Some 67 are in Kensington and Chelsea, while another 34 are in Westminster.
A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: ‘Our priority is to make sure residents who have been affected by last night’s flooding have the help they need.
‘Overnight we have placed 120 residents in emergency hotel accommodation and are making emergency repairs this morning. We are making welfare calls to vulnerable residents and have set up a centre at The Curve in North Kensington where Council officers are on hand to support people affected. Flash floods have affected boroughs across London after sudden and torrential rainfall.
‘This is causing damage and disruption across the city, not just here in Kensington and Chelsea and is not linked to basement building.’
Last night, flood waters poured through the streets of Portobello Road in Notting Hill after nearly three inches of rain hit the capital in just 90 minutes and in Raynes Park, south London, cars were left abandoned in around 2ft of water after torrential downpours caused travel chaos and left homes and businesses flooded.
Meanwhile in Turnpike Lane, north London, people were spotted wading through the water in the streets as the heavy rain pelted down and flooded the roads.
Freak flash floods battered roads, with homes and classrooms deluged as nearly three inches of rain fell in a 90 minute frenzy
Cars are left abandoned in around 2ft of water after heavy rain falls on a road in South Hampstead, north London, yesterday
Flood waters poured through the streets of Portobello Road in Notting Hill after nearly three inches of rain hit the capital in just 90 minutes yesterday
Rain batters the streets of London forcing cars to drive through inches of rain during thunderstorms in London last night
It wasn’t all mayhem, as mechanic Andy Simmons downed tools and brought out the jet-ski he stores at his garage in Poole, Dorset
Cars are abandoned in water after torrential downpours left roads flooded in Turnpike Lane, north London, yesterday
Roads are flooded in Maida Vale, west London, after heavy rainfall hits the capital – with nearly three inches of rain hitting the region in just 90 minutes
People sprint through the streets of Highgate in north London with their umbrellas to get out of the torrential downpours
Elsewhere, in St John’s Wood, one homeowner was left shocked as water began to splurge out of their overflowing toilet through their property.
MPS Westminster also reported heavy flooding around Colville Terrace, Holland Road and Ladbroke Grove and said the emergency services were now evacuating areas due to flooded properties and collapsed ceilings.
A spokesman said: ‘Reports of heavy flooding around Westminster including Colville Terrace, Holland Road and Ladbroke Grove Emergency services assisting in evacuating areas due to reports of flooded properties and collapsed ceilings. Road closures are in place.
The rapid rise of the super-basement
The super-basement concept is one that has only come to prominence over the past 20 years.
It became popular because many of the areas favoured by the super-rich also carry restrictive planning regulations.
This means the only option is to go further down and fashion an expansion digging into the earth.
It often means the size of the underground extension can nearly be as big as the original property itself.
The so-called ‘Iceberg homes’ up to 59ft (18m) deep are being placed into Britain’s richest areas such as Kensington and Chelsea.
They include astonishing amenities including artificial beaches and even car museums.
Turkish baths, cigar rooms and banqueting halls are also among the features, with around 1,000 gyms, 380 pools, 460 cinemas, 380 wine stores and 120 staff rooms found in basement plans in the capital between 2008 and 2017.
The combined depth of every basement approved by seven London boroughs in the past decade is 50,160ft (15,289m) – 50 times the height of The Shard – with two of the basements said to include multiple pools.
Researchers at Newcastle University found there were 785 large basements – going at least two storeys under the house, or one storey far under the garden, in the study carried out for The Guardian .
A further 112 were ‘mega basements’ – at three storeys in depth or two far under the garden. Some 67 are in Kensington and Chelsea, while another 34 are in Westminster.
The basements feature a total of about 550 media rooms, 340 games rooms, 240 saunas or steam rooms and 60 underground garages and parking facilities.
It came as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain for a large section of southern England and the Environment Agency issued one flood alert for areas close to the upper River Loddon in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
As the intense downpours ensued, the London Fire Brigade confirmed they had received more than 1,000 calls related to flooding and urged people to ‘only call if there was a genuine emergency’.
A spokesperson for the service said: ‘We’re asking people not to walk through or drive through the flood water. Flood water can be contaminated and vehicles can become unstable.
‘We’re also asking people to look out for their neighbours and look out for weather warnings in their area.’
Yesterday, Euston Station lines had to be shut down and underground stations, including Chalk Farm and Hampstead stations in north London and Wimbledon in the south, also drew their barriers due to the heavy rainfall.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘The line between Watford Junction and Euston has been closed and engineers are on site inspecting the track as the water recedes. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will have trains on the move again.
‘We would advise anyone travelling this evening to check with their train operator or the National Rail Enquiries website for the latest information.’
The flooding problems appear to be concentrated in south west and north west London, including boroughs such as Richmond and Kingston.
Last night, residents in a number of areas such as South Hampstead, West Hampstead, Raynes Park, Friern Barnet, Isleworth and Wimbledon took to social media to post videos of the scenes as they expressed their shock at finding whole roads in their neighbourhoods submerged underwater.
Pictures also emerged of people swimming in ponds created by the thunderstorms on Primrose Hill.
In South End Green, firefighters were called to help carry some walkers to safety across roads that had been flooded by water pouring off Hampstead Heath.
And tenants of Lancaster West Estate in North Kensington, near Grenfell Tower, complained that a storm had caused a nearby manhole cover to blow off and ‘water and raw sewage’ was now flowing around the block.
Elsewhere in the UK, Preston was also affected by flooding, with a section of the M6 having to be closed to traffic for some time on Monday afternoon. It has since reopened.
Yesterday, the Met Office issued a severe rain alert for London after parts of the UK were hit by heavy showers and thunderstorms.
A Met Office spokesperson told Mail Online: ‘The torrential downpours could see 20 to 30mm of rain in an hour. Maybe 60mm over two to three hours. Today there is quite a lot of rain around, while tomorrow it becomes a lot more showery.’
The experts issued a yellow weather warning for large swathes of the south coast, with the possibility of flooding to homes, roads and businesses amid the torrential downpours.
A flood warning was also put in place on the River Loddon where river levels have risen as a result of persistent rainfall in previous weeks.
Drivers were told to beware of difficult driving conditions and some road closures due to the heavy rain, while warnings of possible travel disruption across train and bus services were also issued.
The Met Office spokesperson added: ‘The yellow warnings covers most of the south coast from Kent down to Devon and up into East Anglia.
‘Within that warning area you are at risk of seeing some slow moving heavy showers. There is a chance of some thunderstorms as well. The warning is in place until midnight tonight.’
But other parts of the UK are also set to be damp, even those not covered by the Met Office’s official warning.
‘Warnings are issued on impact so the warning area is where we are expecting to see the impacts from the rain, but there could still be rain outside those areas,’ said the Met Office spokesperson.
‘There’s heavy showers with the potential for thunderstorms in Northern Ireland and western Scotland as well. It’s just that the rain won’t have as much of an impact as some of those areas aren’t so heavily populated or built.’
Torrential rain began to flood roads the roads in London yesterday as lightning and thunder also hit the capital
Londoners took to Twitter with their disbelief of the torrential downpours this evening
Social media users took to Twitter to share footage of roads covered in waters and cars left abandoned on the streets
A man gets absolutely soaked as he runs through the streets in Highgate, north London, as rain continued to pour down on the capital
Flash flooding in Putney causes chaos on the roads while commuters try and get home in rush hour
A cyclist is absolutely drenched as she cycles through Putney, southwest London, during last night’s torrential downpours
Flooding inside a building yesterday during the torrential downpours in the south of the country
Bournemouth (pictured, flooding in Bournemouth gardens) is one of the many cities along the south coast affected by the yellow weather warnings
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