Oxfordshire flooding: Havoc for commuters and homeowners

As Storm Henk battered large parts of the county, several days of heavy rain has left high levels of flooding on key transport routes.

Many roads in Oxfordshire were closed meaning bus services were heavily impacted and drivers were stranded after finding their route submerged in water.

Grenoble Road and Lobelia Road were both closed in Oxford on Friday, while Eynsham Road in Botley and multiple streets in Islip were also unpassable. 

Homeowners said flooding in Islip was the worst they had seen since 2019 after the River Ray flooded Lower Street. 

Flooding in Islip (Image: Newsquest)Steventon was particularly badly affected with severe flooding by The Fox Inn.

Householders in the village were reportedly frustrated at motorists driving past as the water seeped into their homes. 

Hadden Hill in Didcot, Grove Park Drive in Wantage and the A420 from Buckland to Southmoor were also closed across the county on Friday.

It came after the A34 was closed on Thursday night in the southbound carriageway near the Abingdon North junction due to the flooding.

Police closed the carriageway from Hinksey Hill at around 8pm with motorists held up in queues of around 40 minutes.

Motorist Catherine Warrilow told the Oxford Mail: "People were walking up the hard shoulder because it was at a standstill. It was so dangerous when the traffic started moving."

National Highways confirmed at 11am yesterday morning that the flooding had cleared as the major route finally reopened after the closure extended into the morning rush hour.

Seacourt Park and Ride off Botley Road was also closed by the city council after heavy flooding left the site underwater yesterday.

Elsewhere, surface water covered the carriageway and footpath of Abingdon Road at the junction with Weirs Lane.

Oxfordshire County Council advised drivers to approach "with extreme caution" and to pay attention to cyclists and "all road users that may need to go through the junction".

Oxford Bus Company labelled the flooding as "increasingly concerning", saying buses travelling via Abingdon Road are "suffering severe disruption".

Flooding in Botley Road (Image: Ben Hardy)

In some spots, pedestrians reported the water as being "ankle deep".

In south Oxford, Donnington Bridge Road was also closed on Friday afternoon.

An eyewitness said: "Everyone is turning around because it is unpassable. Someone in a van told me there's no point trying to get through that." 

Trains running through Didcot Parkway were also heavily disrupted as its station was filled with water.

This combined with a death on the line between Reading and Didcot led to Great Western Railway warning of “significant disruption” to its services.

In a travel warning to passengers, the operator said: “Due to the flooding a significantly reduced level of service can only be provided and will be subject to further short-notice cancellations throughout the day.

“Customers are advised to travel as early as possible or consider delaying their journey.

“A serious incident near Reading last night, where police closed the railway for several hours, has left trains and crew in the wrong place for the start of service, which alongside localised flooding, continues to hamper our ability to run trains.”

Businesses were also evacuated as water levels rose including on the Osney Mead industrial estate in Oxford.

Lorries were seen ploughing through heavily flooded roads creating wash that reached the surrounding office’s doorsteps.

A bicycle courier service also suspended their deliveries into Osney Mead as floodwater reached “over a foot deep”.

And, sandbags were stacked outside homes in and around Botley Road.

In Wallingford, there were high water levels at Wallingford Bridge and two vehicles at Wallingford splash pool car park were partly submerged in water.

The major flooding comes from days of heavy downpours which left 30 flood warnings in place for Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas on Friday evening – up from 11 the day before.

The Environment Agency warned of flooding on the River Cherwell, the River Thames, River Ray, River Stert and at Chalgrove Brook.

Data from the Environment Agency shows almost every river in England to be exceptionally high with some rivers reaching their highest flow on record.

The Met Office said the cold snap will be caused by high pressure building over the UK into next week, with drivers urged to be cautious of ice.

The UKHSA said: “A brisk easterly wind developing across the south over the weekend will make it feel much colder, with the added wind chill.

“Temperatures are likely to be a few degrees below average, across much of the UK, especially overnight, with more widespread frosts than of late.

“Ice is likely to be an issue for many given the very wet ground in most areas. It is probable this cold spell may last well into the following week.”

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said conditions were “turning considerably drier”, adding that the weather service has no rain warnings issued “for the first time in quite a while”.

He said the spell of rain that hit southern England on Thursday is moving eastwards across the North Sea, leaving “some scattered showers across parts of the UK”. 

Mr Claydon said: “We’re heading to a more settled spell of weather, which will be very welcome for many people across the UK after what’s been a very wet start to 2024.”