High Winds and Heavy Rains Battering Britain
Pastor Dale Morgan
High Winds and Heavy Rains Battering Britain*
Several rivers in Wales have already burst their banks
Heavy rainfall and strong winds are sweeping across Britain causing
floods in many areas.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for Wales and many
parts of England.
Some areas could experience the equivalent of more than two weeks of
rainfall in 24 hours.
The Environment Agency says there are 34 flood warnings currently in
force in south and west Wales and the south-west of England, two of them
severe.
The severe warnings are in Wales, for the River Rhymney at New Tredegar,
Caerphilly, Bedwas and Machen, and for the River Taff at Troedyrhiw,
Aberfan and Quakers Yard.
And flood warnings have been issued for the west of England on the River
Wye, and including Hereford, Hay on Wye, and Ross on Wye.
Motorway in wet weather
Drivers have faced dangerous conditions in parts of the UK
There are 94 flood watches in England and Wales and one in Scotland.
Chris Mills, of the Environment Agency, said people based in areas where
there are flood warnings "need to make sure that they are looking after
their property, that they are alert [and] that they are ready to leave
their property if necessary".
"Don't go anywhere near the water, don't try to cross the water in a
vehicle, even by a 4x4, and remain alert,'' he said.
BBC forecasters said 40mm of rain had fallen in Caerphilly in south
Wales and on Exmoor.
And forecasters are warning of a very heavy period of rain continuing
for up to 24 hours, affecting northern England, south-eastern Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
The heavy rain will continue through the night and well into Saturday in
these areas.
The weather has caused disruption across much of Wales and England:
• A major incident has been declared in Bridgend due to rising water
levels in the River Ogmore. The council is evacuating staff from its
civic offices and businesses are being advised about the risk of flooding
• Firefighters across Devon and Cornwall answered a number of
flood-related calls, with a number of motorists being rescued from vehicles
• A number of roads are under water in Gloucestershire and a road in
Crumlin in Monmouthshire was closed following a landslide
• Gusts of more than 60mph have been recorded at headlands near Torbay
in Devon
• Arriva Trains is advising people in south east Wales not to travel by
train as all rail services are severely disrupted by flooding
South Wales Fire Service said it had received 350 flood-related calls in
six hours on Friday, compared with a normal daily total of about 130.
Fire crews and council workers were called to homes in the Lydney area
of Gloucestershire on Thursday after flash floods.
Flooding caused substantial problems throughout that county in July last
year.
We are expecting 20mm to 40mm of rainfall in the next 24 hours on
already saturated ground, which is the biggest problem
BBC weather forecaster Darren Bett
Floods cause chaos in Wales
The ground is saturated after an unusually wet August, increasing the
risk of flooding across the UK, experts said.
"We are expecting 20mm to 40mm of rainfall in the next 24 hours on
already saturated ground, which is the biggest problem. We've had a lot
of rain already," said BBC weather forecaster Darren Bett.
The AA has reported a higher than normal number of breakdowns with cars
getting in trouble after driving through floodwater.
Commuters have been advised to be careful on the roads and to leave
extra time for journeys.
The public can keep updated through news outlets and by calling the
Floodline on 0845 988 1188