Today’s strong winds are having an impact on local attractions on Christmas Eve.
The ice rink at Crescent Gardens in Harrogate announced on social media it would be closed for the second time in recent days due to wind.
It said:
“Due to the Met Office yellow warning for today being wind gusts up to 61mph, it will be unsafe conditions to ice skate.
“It is with great regret that we have therefore made the difficult decision to close the ice rink for Christmas Eve.
“We plan to reopen the ice rink as usual on Boxing Day but please keep an eye on our social media.”
RHS Garden Harlow Carr has also closed due to the weather. It posted on social media:
“Unfortunately due to the forecast of strong winds, the garden will be closed all day on Christmas Eve. Betty’s will be open from 8am and the garden centre (except the glasshouse) will be open as usual.”
Mother Shipton’s in Knaresborough has said it will be closing slightly earlier than scheduled on Christmas Eve due to the weather warning.
A yellow weather warning is in place with gusts of up to 66mph forecast in the Harrogate district.
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Flood threat remains after wind fells trees in Harrogate
Flood warnings remain active across the Harrogate district this morning after a wild night of weather that saw several trees fall.
The entire length of the River Nidd and its tributaries and the Lower River Ure are subject to flood alerts by the Environment Agency.
More severe flood warnings are in place at Hunsingore on the Nidd and on at Boroughbridge camping and caravanning site on the Ure.
Last night saw several trees crash down, including one outside Valley Gardens in Harrogate at the bottom of Valley Drive.
Helen Bagnall, who witnessed the incident, said:
“The tree has fallen on top of a car and is completely blocking the road, I tried to ring the police but there is nobody answering unless it’s an emergency. It just kept going round in circles, asking me if I wanted to report dog fouling.”
Grayston Plain Lane at Hampsthwaite was blocked next to the Northern Energy site due to a fallen tree.
A tree also came down at the Oval in Harrogate.
Last night saw firefighters rescue two people trapped in a car that got stuck in floodwater in Ripon shortly before 7pm.
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Village floods as Harrogate district warnings remain
Eight flood alerts and warnings remain in place across the Harrogate district this morning after hours of persistent rain.
Many roads and large swathes of land were flooded last night, leading to treacherous conditions.
Last night also saw firefighters deployed sandbags at Killinghall Primary School after some of the building was flooded.
Driving on the A61 between Harrogate and Ripon was particularly dicey, with the bridge dividing Ripley and Killinghall deep in water.
Bishop Monkton, which is between the two locations, was among the worst hit areas as the beck flooded.
Bishop Monkton. Pic: Helen Bagnall
Bishop Monkton is subject to a flood warning, which was updated by the Environment Agency at 1.30am this morning to say further rainfall is forecast this afternoon and over the weekend.
It added:
“We are monitoring rainfall and river levels and are checking rivers for blockages in the area. Plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers which may be flooded.”
Flood warnings, which are more severe than flood alerts because they indicate flooding is expected and people should act, are also in place on the River Ure at Boroughbridge camping and caravanning site and on the River Nidd at Hunsingore, which is between Cattal and Kirk Deighton.
The Hunsingore warning, updated at 2.20am this morning, says:
“Areas most at risk include The Old Cornmill at Hunsingore. Further rainfall is forecast over the weekend. We will continue to monitor levels closely. Residents are strongly urged to take action now. Remain safe and be aware of your surroundings.”
The Boroughbridge warning says:
“River levels are expected to remain high into the weekend, where further heavy showers are possible. We are closing locks and flood gates in the area.”
Less severe flood alerts are active on the Lower River Ure, the Upper River Nidd catchment area, the Middle River Nidd catchment area, the Lower River Nidd catchment area River Crimple.
Rain died out overnight but the wet weather is forecast to return this afternoon and tomorrow.
Let us know of flooding in your area, Please send updates and photos to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk
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North Yorkshire Council spends £171,000 a year on weather services
North Yorkshire Council has agreed to pay £171,000 a year on weather services for the county.
The council uses weather forecasting and data to plan highway services, such as gritting.
It awarded three-year contracts to MetDesk and Vaisala in 2018 to provide forecasting and weather stations respectively.
The contracts were renewed for two years in 2021 and the council has now agreed to extend them for a further two years.
Vaisala’s contract was for £114,000 and MetDesk’s was for £57,000.
James Gilroy, team leader for highways asset management at the council, said in a report to councillors, who approved the deals last week:
“The weather forecasts from Metdesk enable an overall winter maintenance plan to be established. The real time data from the Vaisala weather stations allow this plan to be more finely tuned to the situation on the ground.
“Extending the contracts is the lowest cost option and given the current performance of the respective contractors it is a low-risk approach.”
A council photocall at one of the weather stations last year
The report added 10 new solar/wind-powered weather cameras and two new weather stations had been bought at the cost of £200,000 in autumn 2021.
Sixteen original weather stations were also upgraded at a cost of £265,000 “to broaden the coverage we have across the county”.
Met Office among bidders
A council spokesperson said the weather forecast it used “requires more detail that than the standard free to access services”.
They added the services were put out to competitive tender in 2018, when the Met Office was among the bidders.
The report said there are 10 climatic domains within North Yorkshire’, which are defined as areas with similar weather characteristics.
The domains are Northern Dales, Central Dales, Western Dales, Harrogate, Vale of York and Vale of Mowbray, Selby area, North York Moors, Vale of Pickering, Northern Wolds and Howardian Hills, Eastern North York Moors and Coast and Scarborough and Filey.
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Asked why it was necessary to have 27 weather stations in North Yorkshire, the spokesperson said:
“Weather stations are placed across the county and monitor humidity, road temperature, air temperature and wind speed. Some stations have cameras on them, allowing you to see the road conditions. This helps road users to make more informed travel decisions.
“As you know, weather conditions can change rapidly. Having a wider coverage of stations allows us to make more informed and accurate decisions on gritting.”
Greenhow is the highest area around Harrogate. Pic: John Benson
Of the 27 sites, four are located in the Harrogate district, on the A6108 near Masham, the A658 Harrogate bypass, the A59 at Kex Gill and at Greenhow village.
The council is also able to access sites managed by National Highways on the A1(M) near Dishforth.
A list of all the locations in North Yorkshire is available here.