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Downpour turns Kettering roads to rivers
Heavy rain brought chaos to the north of the county yesterday when drains burst open and roads closed.
Calls poured into the emergency services and the Fire and Rescue Service was called out to flooded homes and a primary school.
Dan Baker, of Anglia Water, said: "A manhole cover in Lower Street in Kettering blew off due to the sheer volume of pressure of the flash flooding.
"It just shows the unusual and unprecedented nature of the sudden unexpected deluge."
A fire crew had to pump away water that surrounded Millbrook Junior School in Churchill Way, Kettering.
Headteacher Robert Astley and a school governor had been bailing the water out with buckets but called firefighters when it came within centimetres of a Year 3 classroom.
Mr Astley blamed the school's 'soak away' drainage system. Pipes take the water away and distribute it into fields rather than into the main system of drains.
Mr Astley said: "We get minor flooding around here on a regular basis but have never had cause to worry about it coming into the classrooms."
A fire crew attended a flooded house in Hazel Road, Kettering. The crew weren't able to pump the water away but gave advice to the householders on clearing up.
Fire crews from Raunds also attended flooded homes in Carlow Street and Back Lane in Ringstead.
A fire officer gave advice to staff at Paragon Automotive in Kettering Road, Islip, on how to stop the premises becoming flooded.
Firefighters were also called to a house in School Lane, Kettering, where a cellar was flooded.
Parts of Lower Street, Rothwell Road and Northfield Avenue were closed in the afternoon.
The worst of the weather has now passed, according to the Met Office.
There will be a grey, cloudy start to today with showers around lunchtime, clearing up in the afternoon.
Tomorrow will be fine with highs of 24C.
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Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North
