Cambridge Flooded In Downpour

Cambridge was hit by severe flooding yesterday, forcing many shops to close their doors.

Among the worst affected were Bank and H&M on Christ’s Lane, who were forced to evacuate the premises and close early, after a sudden downpour overwhelmed drains in the centre of town.

Customers were turned away on Sidney Street, where Lakeland and Sainsbury’s both suffered from the downpour.

Zoe Kaye, a manager at Sainsbury’s, told Cambridge News: “I’ve never seen anything like it. We have been ridiculously badly flooded. There’s 3 inches of water across half the store.

“It’s come from inside the building, maybe connected with the roof or drains, we’re not sure.

“We’re currently closed but we’re clearing up now and we will try to reopen later tonight.”

Also hit were the Grand Arcade, a refuge point for many shoppers, and the adjoining Central Library, where part of the ceiling collapsed causing minor damage to stock, whilst many student houses also suffered flooding.

Fortunately, good samaritans helped to save books from the library. Others also pitched in to broom water out of the Round Church, one of Cambridge’s oldest buildings.

Such wet conditions are rare for Cambridge, which lies in an unusually arid part of the country. In 2011, East Anglia was the driest region in the UK, and earlier this year, Cambridge was officially in a drought.