More storms for Britain

UK storms 'worst in 20 years', and more on the way

Weather experts predict more flooding, with 96 warnings for England and Wales on Sunday and another storm due

the Guardian,

5 January, 2013

The UK is enduring the worst series of winter storms in more than 20 years, weather experts have said, as the country prepares for even more flooding.

The Environment Agency has issued 96 flood warnings throughout England and Wales urging people to take immediate action, while a further 244 areas are on flood alert.

Coastal areas – particularly in southern England – are most at risk as they cope with a combination of unusually high tides and another Atlantic storm on Sunday.

Forecaster Matt Dobson for MeteoGroup said the rain "simply has nowhere to go" after weeks of severe weather has saturated the ground and swelled rivers.

"It's very unusual to have so many powerful storms come in one after the other in such a short space of time, he said. "We haven't seen anything like this since about 1991.

"The nasty weather of the last few days is going to continue across the UK, with the combination of high tides and a powerful storm putting coastal areas particularly at risk.

"Any rain will mean more flooding as the ground is saturated and swollen rivers are coming up against strong waves. The water simply has nowhere to go."

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings of ice and rain, predicting river and surface flooding as well as travel disruption mainly in south Wales and the south west and south east of England. Up to 40mm of rain could fall in higher ground.

Inland rainfall will put pressure on rivers, particularly the Medway in Kent, the Thames in Oxford and Osney and the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire.

The Thames barrier will remain closed to protect land near the river.

Strong winds, persistent rain and tidal waves are predicted for at least another two days, as emergency services attempt to cope with the trail of devastation already created by the severe weather.

More than 200 homes have been flooded from Cornwall to Scotland, with miles of coastline battered and roads and fields across the country left under water.

The prime minister, David Cameron, praised the "great work" of the emergency services and Environment Agency in responding to the latest floods and defended the government's flooding policy in protecting 200,000 homes.

Meanwhile, searches resumed in south Devon for missing 18-year-old university student Harry Martin who was last seen leaving his home to take photographs of the weather, with more than 100 people volunteering to look for him.

Officials around the country have pleaded with people to keep away as dozens put their life at risk by going to coastal areas to watch as the storm brought waves up to 40ft high crashing on to land.

A man and child were almost swept away by a huge wave at Mullion Cove in Cornwall as they peered over the sea wall to watch the raging sea, and elsewhere in Cornwall vehicles driving on a coastal road were swamped and almost washed away by a tidal surge.

Elsewhere in Cornwall, Sergeant Regie Butler pulled a man who had been drinking from the sea at Towan Beach, Newquay, after he had ignored police warnings.

In Aberystwyth, Dyfed a man was rescued by lifeboat after he defied police warnings and became trapped when photographing waves from a harbour jetty.

In the town debris was strewn across the promenade, rail lines in north Wales were left buckled by the power of the sea and a road collapsed in Amroth, Pembrokeshire.

The strong tides were said to be the worst to hit the Welsh coast in 15 years.

Aberystwyth University has deferred the start of exams by a week and was advising students not to travel to the coastal town until the middle of next week.

Emergency services rescued four people from a flooded farm in Llanbedr near Barmouth, north-west Wales, the Severn burst its banks in Gloucestershire for the second day running and a pregnant woman was rescued after 30 properties were flooded in Cardigan, mid-Wales. Part of the sea wall behind the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe collapsed because of the storms.

The environment secretary, Owen Paterson, said: "The worst of the bad weather is not yet over so I've chaired an emergency meeting of all departments involved to make sure that preparations to respond are in hand.

"Our flood defences have worked very well and have protected 205,000 homes at risk."