Flash floods hit north as much of UK swelters

LONDON - Flash floods washed away roads and caused millions of pounds of damage in northern England on Monday while much of the country sweltered in a heatwave.

Two RAF helicopters were scrambled to rescue people after the river Rye burst its banks overnight near the market town of Helmsley in North Yorkshire after 70mm of rain fell in three hours, the Environment Agency said.

People were plucked to safety from trees, cars and roofs.

Police said no one died and all those reported missing had been accounted for.

One resident told BBC radio the six-foot deluge had destroyed her home.

"Most of it is down in the garden, across the fields -- cars have been moved out of the garage onto the patio. It is just total devastation".

The flood waters peaked at Helmsley at 1.37 a.m., police said.

More than 2500 people were without power in north and east Yorkshire after the floods struck, cutting off villages and devastating homes. A spokesman for electricity company YEDL said the firm hoped to have all power restored by Monday evening.

"While it's too early yet to know exactly how much the damage bill will be, it is certain to run into tens of millions of pounds," said Malcolm Tarling, spokesman for the Association of British Insurers.

A number of roads in the area were closed and were unlikely to reopen quickly.

"We rescued nine people and were very relieved when a further nine people who had been reported missing turned up safe," said a spokesman for RAF Kinloss.

The last serious flash flood in Britain hit the Cornish village of Boscastle last summer. About 30 cars were swept out to sea and people had to be winched to safety from rooftops.

The floods around Helmsley occurred when much of Britain baked in a heatwave. Temperatures hit 33 degrees Celsius (91.40F) in London, hotter than many places in the Mediterranean.

- REUTERS