Drayton Manor Resort in Tamworth, Staffordshire, was forced to close on Thursday “due to adverse weather and flooding”, with all tickets for the day cancelled.
The theme park announced the closure on social media on Thursday morning, saying it had made the “difficult decision” to shut the resort to keep guests and staff safe amid thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Yellow thunderstorm warning in force
Staffordshire is among parts of England and Wales covered by a yellow thunderstorm warning, in place from 5am until 10pm on Thursday. The Met Office warning covers parts of the East Midlands, east England, London and south-east England, north-west England, south-west England, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales.
A statement posted on Drayton Manor Resort’s social media accounts read: “Due to adverse weather and flooding, Drayton Manor Resort will be closed today. We know many of you were looking forward to visiting, and we’re very sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this causes.”
“There’s no need to contact us at this stage. We’ll be in touch with affected guests shortly with information on how to rearrange your visit for another date.” The theme park managers thanked visitors for their patience and understanding.
Heavy rain and possible flooding
The Met Office warned that a broad band of thunderstorms and heavy rain would move north across England and Wales, with 20-30mm of rain possible in an hour in some areas and 30-40mm falling fairly widely. It said up to 50mm was possible over a 12-hour period in places.
It added that there was a small chance of more than 50mm falling in three hours and more than 75mm over 12 hours, particularly over east-facing high ground.
Another yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of east and south-east England, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber from 5pm on Thursday until 7am on Friday. The Met Office said heavy, thundery rain is expected to develop across France this afternoon before moving north across, or close to, parts of east and south-east England overnight.
While there is a chance the rain could remain offshore in the North Sea, it is more likely than not to affect at least some areas covered by the fresh warning. Those affected “could see frequent lightning, hail and strong, gusty winds, in addition to heavy rain”, the weather service warned. Some areas could receive up to 50mm of rain, with much of this falling in less than three hours, and there is also a small chance that some places could see up to 75mm.
