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Man drowns in car while crossing flooded river near Newbury Man drowns in car while crossing flooded river near Newbury
(about 1 hour later)
A man has died when his car became trapped in heavy floods, after one of the wettest Aprils on record. Members of the public are being warned not to risk their lives by driving through flood water following the death of one driver and predictions of further localised downpours at the end of the wettest April for 100 years.
Dozens of flood warnings and alerts remained in place across much of England and parts of Wales on Monday while the Met Office predicted more rain in the south overnight and on Tuesday. As dozens of flood warnings and alerts remained in place across much of England and parts of Wales , the Met Office predicted more rain in the south overnight and on Tuesday.
The man and his dog died when the car they were travelling in became submerged in 1.5m (5ft) of fast-flowing water while driving across Headley ford on the Hampshire–Berkshire border. A woman was able to escape from the car. The 52-year-old and his dog died when their car became completely submerged in 1.5m (5ft) of fast-flowing water while driving across Headley ford on the Hampshire–Berkshire border . His 54-year-old wife was able to escape from the car and was treated in hospital for shock but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hampshire police said: "A man has died after the car he was travelling in was submerged in water near Newbury. Inspector Jon Snook, from Hampshire police's roads policing unit, said: "We believe the car drove into the ford from the Hampshire side where it appears as though it was swept downstream and became submerged.
"A woman was able to get out of the vehicle but a man was recovered from it. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was taken to Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital, where she is being treated for shock." "On arrival, we co-ordinated a rescue operation with the fire service to try to free the man. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The spokesman said emergency services had attended the scene to recover the car, which had become completely submerged. Hampshire fire and rescue service said crews from Hampshire and Berkshire had attended the scene after being alerted at 9.07am on Monday. The spokesman said emergency services had attended the scene to recover the car, which had become completely submerged. A spokeswoman for Hampshire fire and rescue service said crews from Hampshire and Berkshire had attended the scene after being alerted at 9.07am on Monday.
"They quickly located the car, which was completely submerged under 5ft of fast-flowing water. The woman from the car had already managed to swim free of the vehicle and reach the bank," she said. "[Firefighters] broke the window of the vehicle and pulled a man free." "They quickly located the car, which was completely submerged under 5ft of fast-flowing water. The woman from the car had already managed to swim free of the vehicle and reach the bank," she said. "Using ladders from both sides of the banks ... [Firefighters] broke the window of the vehicle and pulled a man free."
An eyewitness, Simon Hiscock, who lives in nearby Headley, said 11 emergency vehicles had rushed to the ford. He said rescuers tried to free the trapped man and the couple's pet dog from the Toyota, which was on its roof and submerged. "A man walking his dogs found them. They were trapped in the car," said Hiscock. A witness, Simon Hiscock, who lives in nearby Headley, said 11 emergency vehicles had arrived at the ford. He said rescuers tried to free the man and the couple's pet dog from the Toyota, which was upside down and submerged. "A man walking his dogs found them. They were trapped in the car," he said.
Heavy rain and high winds last weekend brought powerlines down, cutting off electricity to homes and disrupting travel, and more unsettled weather is forecast with the possibility of snow in some parts of Wales. With up to 20mm to 30mm (0.8in to 1.2in) of rain forecast for southern England on Monday night, the Environment Agency remained on "high alert" for flooding amid fears already saturated river catchments will struggle to cope with more downpours.
April was the wettest across the UK in records dating back to 1910, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
The Met Office said six of its weather stations had seen more than three times their usual monthly average in April, and Liscombe in Somerset had seen the most rainfall, with 273.8mm (10.8 inches) of rain compared with its 86.4mm (3.4 inches) April average.
Much of the rain has been focused on the south of the UK, with England recording more rainfall than Scotland. Despite the heavy showers, sunshine levels have not been far off the average, the Met Office said.
A total of 37 flood warnings were in place on Monday, including 20 in the south-west and a handful each in the Midlands, north-east and East Anglia. There were also more than 155 less serious flood alerts.
Heavy rain and high winds last weekend brought powerlines down, cutting off electricity to homes and disrupting travel. However, the Environment Agency said only 20 properties have been flooded across the country and that flood defences had protected many, including 600 homes in Taunton, Somerset, and 25,000 properties along the River Don through Doncaster and Bentley.
The Taunton Deane Cricket Club was submerged under water, fallen trees caused dozens of incidents in Wiltshire, two roads had to be closed due to flooding, and in Devon, the Torquay-based attraction Living Coasts was closed because of the weather.
Elsewhere, a caravan holiday park in Great Billing, Northampton, was being evacuated over concerns that overnight rain could cause flash flooding after a second holiday park, Cogonhoe Mill, started to evacuate its residents over the weekend.
Unfinished flood defences in Upton upon Severn which were shored up over the weekend kept water out of the town and Tewkesbury suffered some localised flooding, but nothing unusual for the area.
Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire – which was badly hit by the 2007 floods – experienced some flooding, while rail services were also affected.Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire – which was badly hit by the 2007 floods – experienced some flooding, while rail services were also affected.
The AHeavy flooding has also forced the cancellation of the Badminton horse trials in Gloucestershire, which were due to start on Thursday. Last cancelled in 1987, the trials are one of the premier events on the equestrian calendar and results at dressage, cross-country and showjumping were expected to play a part in selection of British hopefuls for the Olympics. Heavy flooding has also forced the cancellation of the Badminton horse trials in Gloucestershire, which were due to start on Thursday. Last cancelled in 1987, the trials are one of the premier events on the equestrian calendar and results at dressage, cross-country and showjumping were expected to play a part in selection of British hopefuls for the Olympics.
A statement on its website said: "The recent exceptional rainfall has left the ground at Badminton totally waterlogged and partially flooded. Further rain is due this week leaving no chance of the ground drying out."A statement on its website said: "The recent exceptional rainfall has left the ground at Badminton totally waterlogged and partially flooded. Further rain is due this week leaving no chance of the ground drying out."
Yogi Breisner, performance manager for the British eventing team, said: "It is a real shame that it has been called off, especially in an Olympic year when a lot of the riders and horses would have been on show. I don't think it will majorly affect the Olympic preparations though.Yogi Breisner, performance manager for the British eventing team, said: "It is a real shame that it has been called off, especially in an Olympic year when a lot of the riders and horses would have been on show. I don't think it will majorly affect the Olympic preparations though.
"We always had contingency plans in place which you have to do with horses because there is so much uncertainty. You need to have a Plan B, C and D.""We always had contingency plans in place which you have to do with horses because there is so much uncertainty. You need to have a Plan B, C and D."
Despite the heavy rain, swathes of England are still in a state of drought, with warnings that the downpours were not enough to counteract the effects of two unusually dry winters.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "While we welcome the rain we have received recently, we cannot be complacent and still need everyone to save water where they can."