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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Man dies after floods trap him in car | Man dies after floods trap him in car |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A man died after becoming trapped in his car in flood water as the poor weather continued to cause problems across swaths of the UK. | A man died after becoming trapped in his car in flood water as the poor weather continued to cause problems across swaths of the UK. |
| The victim's vehicle was wedged under a bridge on Thursday night close to a ford in Chew Stoke, Somerset, eight miles south of Bristol. Fire crews and police attended but could not save the man. Rescuers were waiting for the waters to retreat before retrieving the car. | The victim's vehicle was wedged under a bridge on Thursday night close to a ford in Chew Stoke, Somerset, eight miles south of Bristol. Fire crews and police attended but could not save the man. Rescuers were waiting for the waters to retreat before retrieving the car. |
| Nearby in Bath, there were problems for rush-hour commuters after a landslip made a street near the city centre impassable. More problems were also in store for train passengers, as Virgin Trains reported disruptions through Watford Junction, and in the north-west, north Wales and south-west Scotland, while South West Trains said there was "major disruption to west of England services caused by severe weather". Southeastern reported major disruptions on three lines. | Nearby in Bath, there were problems for rush-hour commuters after a landslip made a street near the city centre impassable. More problems were also in store for train passengers, as Virgin Trains reported disruptions through Watford Junction, and in the north-west, north Wales and south-west Scotland, while South West Trains said there was "major disruption to west of England services caused by severe weather". Southeastern reported major disruptions on three lines. |
| The heavy rain also caused a wall to collapse last night in St David's Hill in Exeter, Devon. Police said initial searches indicated no one was trapped beneath the rubble but as a precaution the fire brigade was using thermal imaging cameras and a sniffer dog to check. | The heavy rain also caused a wall to collapse last night in St David's Hill in Exeter, Devon. Police said initial searches indicated no one was trapped beneath the rubble but as a precaution the fire brigade was using thermal imaging cameras and a sniffer dog to check. |
| On Thursday, homes and businesses were flooded, tens of thousands of pounds of damage was caused by high winds, and journeys by road and rail were disrupted as the UK was battered again by rain and gales. | On Thursday, homes and businesses were flooded, tens of thousands of pounds of damage was caused by high winds, and journeys by road and rail were disrupted as the UK was battered again by rain and gales. |
| A band of heavy rain accompanied by winds of 70mph moved across much of the country from the north-west, bringing with it chaos. Forecasters said there was likely to be a reprieve on Friday before another weather front arrives at the weekend, this time from the south-west. Next week it is likely to turn calmer but colder, and there could be snow on the way. | A band of heavy rain accompanied by winds of 70mph moved across much of the country from the north-west, bringing with it chaos. Forecasters said there was likely to be a reprieve on Friday before another weather front arrives at the weekend, this time from the south-west. Next week it is likely to turn calmer but colder, and there could be snow on the way. |
| The bad weather continued overnight, with the heaviest rainfall between 6pm and midnight – 22mm – recorded in Westonbirt in Gloucestershire, while Bournemouth saw 19mm. On Friday morning the Environment Agency had in place 90 flood warnings across the country – meaning flooding is expected – 45 of them in the south-west, where much of the rainfall overnight fell on already saturated ground. In addition, there were 211 flood alerts. | The bad weather continued overnight, with the heaviest rainfall between 6pm and midnight – 22mm – recorded in Westonbirt in Gloucestershire, while Bournemouth saw 19mm. On Friday morning the Environment Agency had in place 90 flood warnings across the country – meaning flooding is expected – 45 of them in the south-west, where much of the rainfall overnight fell on already saturated ground. In addition, there were 211 flood alerts. |
| Paul Gundersen, the Met Office's deputy chief forecaster, said: "The current unsettled spell of weather is set to continue with further spells of heavy rain expected across the country over the next few days. | Paul Gundersen, the Met Office's deputy chief forecaster, said: "The current unsettled spell of weather is set to continue with further spells of heavy rain expected across the country over the next few days. |
| "There has been some torrential rain and squally winds on Thursday as a cold front moved across the UK, but another deep depression developing off Iberia will head towards us for the weekend. This is expected to bring more heavy rain and strong to gale force winds to many parts of the country." | "There has been some torrential rain and squally winds on Thursday as a cold front moved across the UK, but another deep depression developing off Iberia will head towards us for the weekend. This is expected to bring more heavy rain and strong to gale force winds to many parts of the country." |
| There is some uncertainty about exactly what track the low pressure will take at the weekend and so where the strongest winds will be. Currently, the Met Office sees the potential for gusts of 60 to 70mph for south-eastern coastal counties of England overnight on Saturday and into Sunday. The Environment Agency warned there could be severe flooding across England. | There is some uncertainty about exactly what track the low pressure will take at the weekend and so where the strongest winds will be. Currently, the Met Office sees the potential for gusts of 60 to 70mph for south-eastern coastal counties of England overnight on Saturday and into Sunday. The Environment Agency warned there could be severe flooding across England. |
| The Midlands and south-west England bore the brunt on Thursday. In the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, a roof blew off a mosque, damaging three cars but missing passersby. | The Midlands and south-west England bore the brunt on Thursday. In the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, a roof blew off a mosque, damaging three cars but missing passersby. |
| People in Halberton, Devon, were evacuated after a section of the 200-year-old Great Western canal crumbled, allowing water to pour into fields. | People in Halberton, Devon, were evacuated after a section of the 200-year-old Great Western canal crumbled, allowing water to pour into fields. |
| Hundreds of homes were left without power in parts of the south-west as lines were brought down by the high winds and dozens of schools were closed. Christmas light switch-ons in Exeter and Plymouth and Cardiff's Winter Wonderland festivities were postponed. | Hundreds of homes were left without power in parts of the south-west as lines were brought down by the high winds and dozens of schools were closed. Christmas light switch-ons in Exeter and Plymouth and Cardiff's Winter Wonderland festivities were postponed. |
| Trains between Somerset and Devon were cancelled or delayed because part of the track was flooded and there were also problems in Hampshire after a train hit a branch that had fallen across the line. | Trains between Somerset and Devon were cancelled or delayed because part of the track was flooded and there were also problems in Hampshire after a train hit a branch that had fallen across the line. |
| An RNLI lifeboat stood by on the Somerset Levels amid concerns that more rain falling on ground that has been sodden for months combined with a high tide could lead to severe flooding. Parish councils across Somerset were asked to turn village halls into makeshift shelters. | An RNLI lifeboat stood by on the Somerset Levels amid concerns that more rain falling on ground that has been sodden for months combined with a high tide could lead to severe flooding. Parish councils across Somerset were asked to turn village halls into makeshift shelters. |
| People were evacuated from the Billing Aquadrome campsite in Northamptonshire, while in Devon the coastguard warned people to stay out of the sea after a canoeist got into difficulty off Burgh Island, sparking an air and sea rescue effort. He managed to get back to shore under his own power. | People were evacuated from the Billing Aquadrome campsite in Northamptonshire, while in Devon the coastguard warned people to stay out of the sea after a canoeist got into difficulty off Burgh Island, sparking an air and sea rescue effort. He managed to get back to shore under his own power. |
| Bad weather also affected the House of Commons when the Tory MP Roger Gale raised the case of a shipment of livestock that had made it halfway across the Channel before being beaten back by the weather. "This is absolutely intolerable and it is done in the name of free trade," said Gale. | Bad weather also affected the House of Commons when the Tory MP Roger Gale raised the case of a shipment of livestock that had made it halfway across the Channel before being beaten back by the weather. "This is absolutely intolerable and it is done in the name of free trade," said Gale. |
| It all made for difficult driving conditions. The M48 Severn crossing was closed to all traffic while the Tamar bridge between Devon and Cornwall was shut to high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorcycles. The AA said it had experienced record callouts this week, receiving 900 breakdown reports every hour. On a typical Thursday it attends about 9,500 incidents. This Thursday it was expecting to reach 13,000. | It all made for difficult driving conditions. The M48 Severn crossing was closed to all traffic while the Tamar bridge between Devon and Cornwall was shut to high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorcycles. The AA said it had experienced record callouts this week, receiving 900 breakdown reports every hour. On a typical Thursday it attends about 9,500 incidents. This Thursday it was expecting to reach 13,000. |
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