TORRENTIAL downpours have caused flash floods across Derbyshire today.
A stretch of Derby Road, in Ilkeston, next to the fire station, was completely covered by the water after heavy showers broke around midday. Motorists slowly made their way through the water, which is said to have cleared after about 45 minutes.
The wet weather in Ilkeston has also caused Field House Infant School to flood. The school has announced for parents to collect their children if possible, so they can carry out a "clean-up operation".
The school said it hopes to open tomorrow. Peter Pheasant said he was driving from Kimberley to Ilkeston when the wet weather began. He said: "People often say we've had a torrential downpour but I can't remember anything like it in this country. "By the time I reached Station Road, Ilkeston, the rain and hail were coming down so relentlessly that I could barely see in front of me. "The roads were a river of fast-flowing water so deep that you couldn't distinguish road from pavement and the hail, the size of marbles, was hitting the windscreen with such force and noise that I thought the glass might crack. "Ten minutes later,the sun was shining!" Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning to motorists to take care while on the roads following the heavy downpours. A spokeswoman for the service said: "With torrential downpours hitting many parts of Derbyshire it is essential that drivers take extra care on the roads. "As many areas are affected with surface water, motorists are asked to slow down and remember their stopping distances and even consider whether flood water is safe to pass through. "It is often impossible to gauge the depth of flood water or even know if there are any hidden dangers, such as raised/dislodged manhole covers or other debris in the water. "It only takes two feet of water to float a car, so please consider your actions before getting stuck and wrecking your engine." Meanwhile, workmen have been using pick axes to clear drainage gullies on the dam wall at Carsington Reservoir, near Ashbourne.
