England: Parts of Birmingham area flood; music festival evacuates

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Parts of the Birmingham, England area flooded on Saturday amid heavy downpours, following a Met Office yellow weather warning for its region. Moseley's Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival evacuated, and organisers described the weather as "biblical".

"Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation, we're relieved that everyone made it out safely. We're very grateful to all our staff for managing a safe evacuation", they stated.

Severn Trent rescheduled a job fair, Big Boost for Brum, where they had expected to see 1,000 yesterday, after its host, at Birmingham City F.C.'s St Andrew's stadium, flooded.

Local Instagram page imjustbrum posted a Reel showing flooding on streets in Alum Rock and elsewhere in the city, as well as water coming through the roof of a PureGym and two locations in shopping centres. The caption states: "Birmingham really does have more canals than Venice!"

Erdington citizens said floodwaters entered homes, but resident Bradshaw told Birmingham Live the "treacherous conditions" had not "dampened (pardon the pun)" "the plague of boy racers speeding down Spring Lane".

Major roads in Stechford and Selly Park flooded, along with Alum Rock Road and Highgate Road. In addition, slip roads from the M6 onto the A38M shut down after flooding, National Highways reported.

The Met Office forecast for Sunday rain from 15:00–19:00, restarting at 20:00: "A fine start with some sunny spells, though hazy at times. Scattered showers will break out in the afternoon, potentially turning heavy and thundery at times. Not feeling quite as muggy, although still warm in sunny spells. Maximum temperature 24C [75°F]."

The Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival again evacuated on Sunday, tweeting: "This is a safety announcement[.] We have been tracking a storm and with lightning strikes nearby it's not safe to stay in the park, even under marquées. You must evacuate now using the nearest exit. We suggest seeking shelter in the cafes and pubs of Moseley Village until the storm passes. Once it's safe you're welcome to come and go as you please for the rest of the day. Please check our socials for updates. Stay safe, MJFS."

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Sources

Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival. "EVAC ANNOUNCEMENT 👇" — Twitter, July 9, 2023
"Torrential rain cancels a festival and brings flash flooding" — BBC, July 9, 2023
imjustbrum. "Birmingham really does have more canals than Venice!" — Instagram, July 9, 2023
Naomi DeSouza. "'Biblical' scenes as flash floods hit Birmingham - with hours of rain on the way" — Birmingham Mail, July 9, 2023
Katy Hallam. "Flash flooding hits Brum roads and businesses - when will the rain end?" — Birmingham Mail, July 8, 2023

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