UNIVERSITY freshers didn’t let heavy rain dampen their spirits as they hit the streets and poured into bars last night. Portsmouth University students were seen out and about having the time of their lives in Hampshire on Monday despite the weather. More than 2000 undergraduates queued in the rain to get into the Astoria Nightclub and adjoining Tokyo Joe’s bar. Some had umbrellas while others wore carrier bags on their heads as well as coats and even handbags to keep their hair dry in the torrential rain. With lectures beginning in the coming days, freshers painted the town red before they get down to studying. And the soggy night appeared to be a big hit as hordes of booze-fuelled youngsters excitedly headed out with their new pals. While some donned mini skirts, most kept their outfits casual with jeans and trainers. For some, it was their first-ever visit to a nightclub and a taste of freedom living away from home. It comes after parts of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire saw more than 100mm of rain in the last 48 hours. Woburn in Bedfordshire saw 132mm recorded – more than twice the amount of its September average rainfall amount, according to the Met Office. The Environment Agency had 32 flood warnings and 94 flood alerts in place across England on Tuesday morning. National Highways said it expected the A421 in Bedfordshire to remain closed on Tuesday because of severe flooding. And the northbound A5 was closed by rising water levels on Tuesday morning after one lane had been opened overnight. Train services are also affected as flooding between Rugby and Milton Keynes central is disrupting Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway until 10am, according to National Rail. London Northwestern Railway said its Marston Vale line, which operates services between Bedford and Bletchley, would be suspended until September 30. And Chiltern Railways said trains between Banbury and Bicester North were running at reduced speed on all lines. The National Grid said it had seen a week’s worth of power cuts across the weekend. Drier but noticeably cooler conditions are forecast widely on Tuesday with Scotland and northern England still seeing some isolated heavy showers with a chance of thunder. Maximum temperatures are expected to rise no higher than the mid-teens. Meteorologist Liam Eslick said: “There may be odd, heavier bursts just clipping the South East as a system does slowly start to move away, but it’s a much drier day for most people. “There are going to be some isolated showers here and there, but they’re going to be very light, nothing like the torrential rain that we’ve seen over the last couple of days.” River levels should start to decrease to more manageable levels elsewhere towards the end of the day as more water seeps into the ground. The shift to drier conditions in southern areas will also signal a slight dip in temperatures. “As the system that we have had moves its way off towards the east, we start to get a bit more of a northerly flow so we’re bringing in that cooler northerly winds,” the forecaster said. “The winds aren’t going to be strong at all, but with the direction that it is coming in, there will be a bit more of a fresher feel.” A gradual lowering of temperatures will continue through Wednesday and Thursday but it is unlikely any frost will develop with plenty of cloud around.
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