UK NEWS

UK BRACED FOR FLOODS AS STORMS HIT

A van splashes through a flooded road in West Bromwich this morning

Monday January 14,2008

By Geoff Marsh for express.co.uk

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(4)

HUGE parts of Britain deluged by floods last year are braced for more chaos today as rain and gales lash the UK.

Heavy downpours are already affecting much of the country, including Western England, where fears of a repeat of last July's crisis are growing, with further wet weather expected later in the week.

Forecasters predicted up to 40mm of rain could fall in some parts of the South West by lunchtime.

Much of England and Wales is expected to be hit by heavy rain. Gusts of up to 70mph were also predicted on the south coast.

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Many residents hit by last year's floods are sitting tight and regularly checking the weather forecasts. Sandbags have been placed in front of homes in Gloucester, Tewkesbury and several towns in the Forest of Dean.

The Environment Agency has put flood warnings in place at the River Severn between Worcester and Tewkesbury and from Tewkesbury to upstream of Gloucester.

Meanwhile, emergency services and councils are on stand-by and getting prepared for the worst.

Gloucestershire County Council highway teams have been clearing debris from roads and inspecting the conditions of the region's highways ahead.

Matt Dobson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said western England would be the worst hit by overnight rain.

He said: "The South West will really get the brunt of the heavy rain. It will have the heaviest rain in that part of the country. It could rain up to 40mm in places."

WATER COMPANIES?

15.01.08, 6:21pm

What on earth is the water companies doing, apart from collecting their profits?

Not to mention how Local Authorities exploit such hardships in various ways....

New homes required because of our open door policies, generating further avenues of exploitations.

No infrastructure, because Local Council oppose the planning, which allows them to manipulate and distort the facts.

Prime example, they built a Sure Start and because local residents were not happy, they intentionally allowed the building to go ahead without parking provisions, so now the residents cannot park outside their homes.

Silly childish games that they play
By the way, yet another Southern Conservative Council ideology

• Posted by: byteback • Report Comment

FOODS AND DRAINS

15.01.08, 1:16pm

Where I live in Northumberland the street drains are permanently packed with debris and no flooding water can enter them.

Every time it rains rivers run down the majority of streets, so unnecessary if the expensive council got themselves organized and earned our massive community charge.

Save the insurance claims too, when the water has nowhere to go but someone's dwelling ruining everything within.

• Posted by: Babs • Report Comment

THICK OVERPAID FAT CAT POLITICIANS.

15.01.08, 12:01pm

Let us build more and more houses and concrete over Britain that will really help flooding, when will these thick overpaid fat cat politicians understand?

• Posted by: Fedup • Report Comment

THE RAINS COMETH

15.01.08, 11:20am

My husbands in the garden building an ark as we speak!
The cat has taken residence inside claiming the warmest spot for herself and the budgies hoping we sail for tropical climes. The kids have donned sailor suits and I am dressed as a pirate ready to ward off invaders!
Aye aye mi hearties!
Oh by the way I am training the budgie to sit on my shoulder as we dont have a parrot!

Next stop mad house!

• Posted by: abuela • Report Comment