More flooding on the way for waterlogged UK

Around 180 homes were flooded during a hectic weekend for the emergency services and Environment Agency workers up and down the country.

In the south of England, 1.5 million tonnes of water a day were pumped off the Somerset Levels in an around-the-clock bid to alleviate residents’ five-week flooding ordeal.

In Wales, more than 50 mountain rescuers had to battle atrocious weather conditions during a daring eight-hour rescue in the Cambrian Mountains.

And in Scotland, coastguards braved rough seas in the hunt for a missing angler. But as flood-hit communities enjoyed a break in the bad weather yesterday, forecasters warned there may be worse to come.

The Environment Agency said the whole of the south of England will be at an “increased risk” of flooding within the next 24 hours. Flood risk manager Kate Marks said that as high tides and large waves threaten the south coast, further rain on already saturated ground could lead to flooding.

She said: “With further severe weather conditions expected in the coming days, the Environment Agency is likely to issue further warnings so people should check their flood risk and get early warnings so they can take action to protect their property.”

Yorkshire was expected to miss the worst of the flooding, though there were last night 12 ‘flood alerts’ in place and an even more serious ‘flood warning’ for the River Ouse at Naburn Lock, south of York.

The river, where rescue teams have recently been searching for missing student Megan Roberts, was expected to rise to three metres by midnight last night, still some way short of presenting a flood risk.

Flood alerts were also in place in Bridlington and the village of Kilnsea in East Yorkshire, where residents were warned of waves overtopping between last night and this morning.

Officials said yesterday that the Hull Tidal Surge Barrier, which saved thousands of homes from flooding during December’s high tides, had been deployed and that they would “monitor water levels through the high tide period”.

While the number of severe flood warnings decreased from nine to three over the weekends, 78 flood warnings and 265 flood alerts remained place across England and Wales.

But with further rain expected following the wettest January on record in some places, saturated ground and high river levels could lead to further river flooding this week.

Officials say fresh flooding could affect the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall today as well as Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The River Severn in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, the Frome and Avon in Dorset, the river Thames and its tributaries in Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough and Hampshire and the Medway in Kent are all of concern this week.

The Environment Agency said aside from the obvious dangers of flood water, just six inches of fast-flowing water was enough to knock someone off their feet and a mere cup-full can damage a vehicle’s engine.

In Newgale, west Wales, 10 people had to be plucked from a bus in the dark after it got stuck on the seafront. Coastguards said the vehicle had been hit by a large wave before being surrounded by flood water. North of the border, fears are growing for the safety of a fisherman who went missing on the Aberdeenshire coast in the early hours of the morning.

However, nature’s frightening power did not deter a group of 30 daredevils who rode the waves of the “five-star” tidal surge the Severn Bore on Sunday morning. They took to the water despite official warnings to stay away.