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UK flood warnings in place across Britain after further rainfall Flood barriers go up around key Shakespeare sites as River Avon rises
(about 7 hours later)
Environment Agency posts 147 warnings in England and Wales after heavy downpours Heavy rains have led to 107 flood warnings across much of England and parts of Wales
Almost 150 flood warnings remain in place across Britain after more heavy rain fell overnight. Flood barriers were erected in the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon on Friday as more than 100 warnings were issued across the country following November’s wet weather.
While the Met Office has forecast the heavy downpours will ease on Friday, wet weather on Thursday night has increased the number of flood warnings. The Environment Agency (EA) moved to protect some of the key sites associated with William Shakespeare, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is on the banks of the Avon.
The Environment Agency (EA) has posted 147 warnings in which immediate action is required: 145 in England and two in Wales. The 15th-century cottage that once belonged to the Bard’s wife, Anne Hathaway, has been photographed next to a flooded road following the latest downpour.
There are also 174 alerts, warning people to be prepared for possible flooding. The warnings and alerts cover most of England. Locals said that there is some concern over the protection of Shakespeare’s funerary monument, a memorial located within the Holy Trinity church which is close to the river.
They are in force across the south of the country from Cornwall to Kent, from Chester in the north-west to areas north of Norwich and regions to the east of York, and most parts in between. Warwickshire police tweeted footage of flood barriers being erected along Waterside in the town on Friday in a move to protect the area.
The EA is working with emergency responders and local authorities to protect people and properties in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. John Curtin, executive director of flood and coastal risk management at the EA, said between 25 and 30 properties near the River Avon at Evesham, Worcestershire, have been flooded.
The Met Office’s Friday morning forecast for the UK is for rain at times, but not as heavy as recent days. It has forecast further rain at times for Saturday in England and southern Scotland. Describing the area as the latest flooding “live hotspot”, he said the river was currently at four metres.
Almost 50mm of rain fell near Tal-y-Maes, Wales, in the 24 hours to Thursday evening, and the 49.6mm recorded in Brecknockshire was almost matched by Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, which had 48.8mm over the same period. “The rain last night went through some of the smaller villages in Warwickshire and the rain is moving down towards Evesham as we speak,” he said.
The rain arrived with cold temperatures, and some parts of south-west England did not rise above 2C on Thursday, but flood water remains the primary concern. In a move to quell concerns, a Defra spokesperson said no sites of national interest were at direct risk from flooding in Stratford this weekend.
Machines were pumping 2.5 tonnes of water second out of the Yorkshire village of Fishlake, South Yorkshire, according to the EA, as soldiers helped reinforce flood defences. Some places in the UK are already close to having their wettest autumn on record following the latest downpour on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, emergency services across England told motorists not to drive through deep flood water as rivers continued to swell. The rains have led to flooded roads and travel disruption, with 107 flood warnings in place across much of England and parts of Wales on Friday.
Another government Cobra meeting was held on Thursday evening to coordinate relief operations. Fishlake near Doncaster has been one of the worst affected with hundreds of homes submerged following the downpours that started last week.
The leaders of councils in Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley, Bassetlaw and Kirklees have written to the communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, warning of “considerable and lasting damage”. They have requested additional funding to help them cope with future flooding. Curtin told a briefing in Westminster that the authorities were braced for further flooding and had a team of people on standby up to and beyond Christmas.
“A number of our frontline teams are now rostered all the way through Christmas already.
“We don’t want people to think it happened to Fishlake, it won’t happen to me. Today it is Evesham, tomorrow where next?”
In Gloucester, one of the areas hit by heavy rainfall, video emerged of a bus attempting to make its way through a flooded road, with water entering the vehicle as it passed through.
Images released by Derbyshire police’s drone unit showed waterlogged fields around the village of Ambaston.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire fire and rescue service said it had rescued 97 people and a dog in 43 different weather-related incidents.
Will Lang, head of civil contingencies at the Met Office, said: “Some places are close to having their wettest autumn on record and we have two more weeks of November to go.”