This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/01/flood-warnings-weather

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Flood alerts and coastal warnings as woman drowns in rough seas Flood alerts and coastal warnings as woman drowns in rough seas
(about 7 hours later)
Emergency services are searching for people missing in bad weather, and the first storms of 2014 brought flooding to many areas. The environment secretary is expected to chair a meeting of the government's Cobra emergencies committee on Thursday in response to floods that have torn down power lines, closed roads and flooded homes.
A 27-year-old man is feared dead in Cornwall after he was swept out to sea while celebrating the new year on the beach with friends. On Tuesday a woman died in the surf in north Devon. Owen Paterson said he has been chairing meetings throughout the day to ensure that the Environment Agency and local councils "are on the ground and offering all possible support to their communities".
Police are searching for several people who have not been seen since New Year's Eve. Visitors to coastal areas have been warned to stay out of the sea. He said: "With a number of flood alerts for the south-east, including several areas that have previously been flooded, I urge everyone in affected areas to sign up to EA flood warnings and follow the advice."
The Environment Agency put out more than 200 weather warnings on Wednesday, covering every region of England and Wales. Dozens of flood warnings are in place, mostly in the south-west of England, and forecasters have predicted strong winds, heavy rain and further flooding in the coming days. It comes as emergency services continue to search for people missing after the first storms of 2014 brought misery.
Craig Woolhouse, the Environment Agency's head of flood incident management, said: "Strong winds and large waves along the west and south coasts of England are forecast between Friday and Sunday, coinciding with high tides. Impacts could include flooding affecting some coastal properties and communities. A 27-year-old man was feared drowned on Wednesday after he was swept out to sea while celebrating the new year with friends on a beach in Cornwall.
And the Coastguard is co-ordinating a search for a man who is believed to have fallen into the River Stour, near Iford Bridge in Christchurch, Dorset.
Devon and Cornwall police, together with the coastguard, appealed for people not to enter the sea during the bad weather.
A woman drowned in Croyde, north Devon, on Tuesday, and a search is under way for the 27-year-old who was paddling in the sea at Loe Bar, near Porthleven in Cornwall. He was swept off his feet by a large wave in the early hours of Wednesday.
Police said the man, who was on holiday, had gone swimming with friends. "The male was part of a group on holiday in the area, five of whom went for a night swim," a spokesman said.
"It was only when the other swimmers returned to the beach that they realised their friend was not with them. The weather and water conditions at the time were described as being rough. The family are aware of the incident."
The Environment Agency put out nearly 300 weather warnings on Wednesday, covering every region of England and Wales. Dozens of flood warnings are in place, mostly in the south-west, and forecasters have predicted strong winds, heavy rain and further flooding to come.
Nearly 300 households in Liphook, Hampshire, lost power after lines were brought down at around 7am in the stormy weather.
A spokeswoman for utility company SSE said the majority of customers had power again by 8.25am and the remaining 34 restored by 5pm.
Craig Woolhouse, the Environment Agency's head of flood incident management, said: "Strong winds and large waves along the west and south coasts of England are forecast between Friday and Sunday, coinciding with high tides.
The effects could include flooding affecting some coastal properties and communities.
"Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground making sure that flood defences are in good working order, monitoring sea levels and preparing to issue flood alerts and warnings.""Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground making sure that flood defences are in good working order, monitoring sea levels and preparing to issue flood alerts and warnings."
Updates are available on the Environment Agency website and through @EnvAgency and #floodaware on Twitter.Updates are available on the Environment Agency website and through @EnvAgency and #floodaware on Twitter.
Matt Dobson, a senior forecaster with MeteoGroup, said there would be a brief respite on Thursday but warned that further heavy rain and gale-force winds were on the way.Matt Dobson, a senior forecaster with MeteoGroup, said there would be a brief respite on Thursday but warned that further heavy rain and gale-force winds were on the way.
He said: "[Thursday] will be fairly pleasant in many places, with sunshine across the country and only a few showers across the west and south coast of England. But it won't last. From Thursday night into Friday there will be more heavy rain everywhere. Another deep area of very low pressure is coming in from the Atlantic, which will hit Northern Ireland and Scotland, and there will be severe gales in places. He said: "[Thursday] will be fairly pleasant in many places, with sunshine across the country and only a few showers across the west and south coast of England. But it won't last. From Thursday night into Friday there will be more heavy rain everywhere. Another deep area of very low pressure is coming in from the Atlantic, which will hit Northern Ireland and Scotland, and there will be severe gales in places.""Over the last couple of weeks we have seen a few heavy rainfall events across the country and the ground will be saturated in places. More rain and strong winds are on the way, so river levels are going to stay very high."
"Over the last couple of weeks we have seen a few heavy rainfall events across the country and the ground will be saturated in places. More rain and strong winds are on the way, so river levels are going to stay very high."
Devon and Cornwall police, together with the coastguard, appealed for people not to enter the sea during the bad weather. A woman drowned in Croyde, north Devon, on Tuesday, and a search is under way for a 27-year-old man who was paddling in the sea at Loe Bar, near Porthleven, in Cornwall, when he was swept off his feet by a large wave in the early hours of Wednesday.
Police said the man, who was on holiday, had gone swimming with friends. "The male was part of a group on holiday in the area, five of whom went for a night swim," a police spokesman said. "It was only when the other swimmers returned to the beach that they realised their friend was not with them. The weather and water conditions at the time were described as being rough. The family of the male are aware of the incident."
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.