More flooding hits sodden communities as deluge continues

A third consecutive weekend of stormy weather is bringing further flooding misery to already sodden communities.

With swathes of South Wales and northern and central England still trying to cope with the impact of Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis, heavy showers have brought new flooding plus warnings of more to come.

The Met Office said more belts of heavy rain were due on Saturday night and again on Sunday night, accompanied by warnings of high winds and snow in Scotland.

On Saturday morning, the Environment Agency had 90 flood warnings in place, as well as 153 flood alerts, covering areas from Wiltshire to Cumbria.

And two severe flood warnings – meaning an imminent danger to life – remain in force for the River Lugg at Hampton Bishop, near Hereford.

Flooding was reported across the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales on Friday night, with the village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale cut off by rising water.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Twitter: “We have two crews from Settle, Grassington and a water rescue team from Ripon in Horton-in-Ribblesdale which is currently surrounded by floodwater.

“Crews are checking residents and ensuring everyone is safe.”

The service also said it had helped four people to safety from a stranded vehicle in Skipton as well as helping with flooded properties in the village of Giggleswick.

North Yorkshire Police said the A65 between Gargrave to Settle was impassible due to flooding on Friday night and West Yorkshire Police reported problems on the same road between Ilkley and Burley on Saturday morning.

Motorists have also been warned to avoid Billams Bridge, in Otley, on Saturday.

The damage wreaked by Storm Dennis last weekend and Storm Ciara the week before is projected to run into the billions to repair.

Although this weekend will bring bouts of rain, high winds and even snow in places, the Met Office said on Saturday the conditions did not merit classifying the weather as a named storm.

Forecaster Marco Petagna said Saturday would bring a respite from the rain in some areas but there was a warning for high winds in the north and another band of stormy weather would sweep in from the South West on Saturday night.

Mr Petagna said a yellow weather warning had been issued for rain in parts of Wales on Sunday with 60mm in total expected in some upland areas.

He said another storm system would move across the whole of the UK on Sunday night with high winds, rain and snow across Scotland and parts of northern England.

Prince Charles visited Pontypridd in South Wales on Friday which has been badly hit by the floods.

It is estimated that 1,100 properties – both residential and commercial – have been affected in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area.

Charles walked down Pontypridd’s high street, where many shops are closed due to flood damage.

Caroline Douglass, director of incident management at the Environment Agency (EA), said on Friday: “This will be the third weekend of exceptional river levels and stormy weather.

“With the effects of climate change, we need to prepare for more frequent periods of extreme weather like this.

“People need to be aware of their flood risk, sign up to flood warnings, make a flood plan and not to drive or walk through floodwater.”

The EA said that river levels have exceeded existing records with the Colne, Ribble, Calder, Aire, Trent, Severn, Wye, Lugg and Derwent among the many rivers where records have been broken.

But the agency said that, even with record river levels, the number of homes flooded has been lower than in other major flood events of the last 20 years.