UK weather: Flooding 'potentially imminent' in aftermath of Storm Dennis
Rivers have swollen to "exceptional" levels in parts of the UK, and in some areas water levels continue to rise.
Wednesday 19 February 2020 04:31, UK
Flooding is "potentially imminent" in some parts of the UK as people are being warned they are "not out of the woods yet" in the aftermath of Storm Dennis.
Residents in Shropshire are being told to leave their homes as they face further flooding and have been warned they are risking their lives if they decide to stay.
As of 5pm on Tuesday, six severe flood warnings remained in place in the west of England, with a further two in Wales.
The warnings, which are largely around the River Severn, led to dozens of properties being evacuated after water pressure caused the roads to crack with rising levels threatening to breach flood barriers.
People living in Ironbridge, near Telford, have been taken to a cafe, while cars were moved to a park and ride with river levels expected to rise to 22ft (6.7m) high.
The Environment Agency (EA) says 599 properties were flooded across England as a result of the storm, aading that more than 6km of temporary barriers had protected around 25,000 more from being affected.
Dave Throup, EA manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, is warning people to remain vigilant, adding: "There may be some short-term drops in levels but they may well rise again. We're certainly not out of the woods yet, there is quite a long way to go with this flood."
Further heavy rain is forecast on Wednesday and Thursday, and this could affect already flooded areas, with yellow warnings covering North and South Wales on both days.
EA executive director of flood and coastal risk management John Curtin said: "We expect further disruptive weather into tomorrow and Thursday, bringing a significant flood risk to the West Midlands, and there are flood warnings in place across much of England."
The yellow weather warnings for rain in Wales have been issued by the Met Office and they are in force from 6pm on Wednesday until 3pm on Thursday.
In England, there are severe flood warnings in place at:
- River Lugg at Hampton Bishop
- River Severn at New Street, Upton upon Severn
- River Severn at the Wharfage, Ironbridge
- River Severn at Uckinghall
- River Severn at Waterside, Upton upon Severn
- River Wye at Hampton Bishop
In Wales, "danger to life" flood warnings have been in force for the River Wye in Monmouth, where water levels caused a water treatment plant to close after it flooded in the storms.
On Tuesday, the Welsh government has announced a £10m funding package for those who have been hit by the flooding.
Major incidents were declared in South Wales, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire - among the worst affected areas by the weekend's storm.
A woman who was swept away by floodwater near Tenbury in Worcestershire on Sunday was found dead on Monday.
The family of Yvonne Booth, 55, said in a statement: "Yvonne is a very much-loved member of our family and we are all devastated by this news."
The prime minister has been accused of refusing to visit affected communities, with shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard calling Boris Johnson's response to the crisis a "disgrace".
Instead, environment minister Rebecca Pow visited affected areas, and said that the emergency services and the Environment Agency (EA) were working around the clock to help flood hit communities.
Speaking in Worcester, she said: "My heart goes out to anyone who has been flooded. It's absolutely ghastly - there's nothing worse.
"The government takes this really seriously. We've invested more money than ever before in flooding and flood defence work.
"Since 2015, we have invested £2.6 billion - that's until 2021 - and that was to better protect 300,000 properties."
Mr Johnson has resisted calls to chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra, which Labour leadership candidate Sir Keir Starmer described as an "appalling decision".
He added: "The recent flooding is a stark reminder that the government is not doing enough to get to grips with the climate crisis. Ministers should be taking a lead on this situation, not ducking their responsibilities."
Downing Street said Mr Johnson was receiving regular updates.