Flood alerts issued as short thaw coincides with rain

PARTS of Yorkshire were on alert for flooding last night as fresh warnings of snow were issued by weather forecasters.

The Ouse in York was among the areas where precautions were being taken against flooding as 17 warnings were issued in England and Wales by the Environment Agency, with more than 100 lesser flood watches also in place.

The moves followed heavy rain which hastened a thaw of lying snow after four weeks of bitterly cold weather.

In York city centre, King’s Staith, Queen’s Staith and South Esplanade were among areas at risk.

Several pubs piled sandbags in front of their doors yesterday. Tourists stopped to take photographs as beer barrels from a flooded cellar floated past them.

A flood warning notice was in place on the Ouse outside of the city at Naburn and on the Derwent at Buttercrambe in North Yorkshire.

A report published today by the Environment Agency says the costs of the devastating 2007 summer flooding came to 3.2bn and it warns costs will soar unless there is more investment in flood prevention.

The Met Office yesterday warned of a belt of snow which could cross the country on Wednesday with wet snow also a possibility on Thursday.

Paul Mott, a meteorologist with MeteoGroup, said the mercury was expected to plummet after the brief milder spell over the weekend.

He said: “It looks like it will turn colder in the mid-part of the week and there is a risk of some wet snow looking ahead to Tuesday night and Wednesday.”

Price of flooding: Page 5. Comment: Page 10.