Britain Braced For More Heavy Flooding

Britain is bracing itself for more flooding and travel disruption over the weekend as forecasters predict further heavy downpours.

A deep area of low pressure is set to move in over the weekend, bringing more heavy rain to areas already badly hit by Thursday's downpours.

Dave Throup of the Environment Agency told Sky News there were an "awful lot" of properties at risk.

"We are initially concerned about the south west of England which is already saturated and then tomorrow probably moving up into the Midlands as well," he said.

"The catchments are now completely saturated and we have spent the last day or so trying to make sure that the rivers are as clear as they can be.

"We've already protected 20,000 properties but we need to be vigilant."

He said 400 properties across the country had already been flooded.

The Environment Agency has issued 44 flood warnings and more than 150 less serious flood alerts.

The South West has been hardest hit by the floods

Emergency teams have been working through the night and this morning to shore up defences, deploy temporary barriers, monitor river levels, clear blockages from watercourses and pump out flood water from towns.

Sky weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "England and Wales could see 15 to 25mm quite widely, with up to 50mm possible in some spots."

South and west Wales and the West Country will be worst affected. Strong winds and possible severe gales are expected on Saturday night and Sunday morning,

"There's still some uncertainty about where the strongest winds will be, but it looks like southern counties of England will bear the brunt, with exposed parts seeing gusts up to 70mph," she said.

The AA's head of special operations, Darron Burness, said: "With more heavy rain forecast across the Midlands, Wales and the South West, road conditions in the affected areas are likely to only get worse as the ground is so saturated.

"Even if you think you know your local roads, don't be complacent, as flash-flooding continues to be a real risk and is catching people out."

Meanwhile, Network Rail said trains were likely to be suspended between Exeter and Bristol until Monday.

The majority of the UK was battered by storms on Thursday leaving hundreds of drivers stranded and thousands of homes without power. More than 100 people had to be evacuated as winds reached more than 86mph.

Three people were rescued after their car was swept away

An elderly man died after becoming trapped in his 4x4 in floods in Chew Stoke in Somerset.

Three other people had a lucky escape after their car was swept down a swollen river in Warwickshire. The vehicle was carried more than 500 metres before a farmer managed to pull it to the water's edge.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Two elderly females and one male were treated for shock and hypothermia by ambulance crews."

In Torquay, Devon, several homes were evacuated after a landslide. Part of a cliff face was hit by a landslip after netting was washed away.

A monkey at a sanctuary in Looe, Cornwall had to be resuscitated after falling ill due to the bad weather. The illness to one-year-old Pepper was the latest setback for Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary affter it suffered serious flood damage on Thursday.

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