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| New storm expected to bring floods to parts of UK that have escaped so far | New storm expected to bring floods to parts of UK that have escaped so far |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| Another powerful Atlantic storm is expected to cause flooding in areas that have so far largely escaped the worst of the deluges and will cause yet more misery for those who have already been forced out of their homes or are continuing to fight a desperate battle to keep the rising water at bay. | Another powerful Atlantic storm is expected to cause flooding in areas that have so far largely escaped the worst of the deluges and will cause yet more misery for those who have already been forced out of their homes or are continuing to fight a desperate battle to keep the rising water at bay. |
| The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for the flood-stricken south-west of England but also for London, the south-east and Wales, predicting torrential rain and winds of up to 80mph on Friday night and Saturday, which could cause another wave of power cuts and bring down trees as well as causing inland and coastal flooding. | The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for the flood-stricken south-west of England but also for London, the south-east and Wales, predicting torrential rain and winds of up to 80mph on Friday night and Saturday, which could cause another wave of power cuts and bring down trees as well as causing inland and coastal flooding. |
| Over Thursday night more heavy rain overwhelmed local flood defences on the Somerset Levels and the water level began to rise. Royal Marines who had been in the region building sandbag defences were drafted in to assist with the evacuation of residents in the village of Moorland early on Friday morning. | |
| Residents from nearby Northmoor, Fordgate and Saltmoor on the Levels had already been warned to evacuate. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: "Earlier this morning local flood defences were breached and the water level in Moorland began rising."We are have been informing local residents and strongly advising them to leave the area. The Royal Marines and search and rescue volunteers are assisting us with this." | |
| Meanwhile the political fallout from the floods intensified with Prince Charles, who visited the Somerset Levels this week, telling a business conference the crisis there was a "classic example of what happens if you pay little attention to the accumulating impact of climate change". | Meanwhile the political fallout from the floods intensified with Prince Charles, who visited the Somerset Levels this week, telling a business conference the crisis there was a "classic example of what happens if you pay little attention to the accumulating impact of climate change". |
| Lord Smith, the chairman of the Environment Agency, will face a hostile reception when he arrives in the Levels on Friday for the first time since the flooding began and the prime minister, David Cameron, said he too would visit "when the time is right". | Lord Smith, the chairman of the Environment Agency, will face a hostile reception when he arrives in the Levels on Friday for the first time since the flooding began and the prime minister, David Cameron, said he too would visit "when the time is right". |
| The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, claimed the government had been "slack in its planning and slow to help the people affected". He said: "The government has got to do what the prime minister promised they would do by the end of January, which is to review all of the investment there is in flood protection to see whether it's adequate and to learn lessons about why the response has been so slow, particularly in parts of Somerset, which have been under water for six weeks now." | The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, claimed the government had been "slack in its planning and slow to help the people affected". He said: "The government has got to do what the prime minister promised they would do by the end of January, which is to review all of the investment there is in flood protection to see whether it's adequate and to learn lessons about why the response has been so slow, particularly in parts of Somerset, which have been under water for six weeks now." |
| Two severe flood warnings, meaning life is in danger, were in place on Thursday night for the Levels, where an evacuation of both humans and animals was taking place as local people, Environment Agency workers and contractors vainly tried to hold back the floodwater. | Two severe flood warnings, meaning life is in danger, were in place on Thursday night for the Levels, where an evacuation of both humans and animals was taking place as local people, Environment Agency workers and contractors vainly tried to hold back the floodwater. |
| For the first time, members of the armed forces joined the effort when 16 Royal Marines from 40 Commando filled and handed out sandbags near the village of Burrowbridge. | For the first time, members of the armed forces joined the effort when 16 Royal Marines from 40 Commando filled and handed out sandbags near the village of Burrowbridge. |
| Residents of the villages of Moorland, Fordgate and Stoke St Gregory were leaving their homes as the waters continued to rise. | Residents of the villages of Moorland, Fordgate and Stoke St Gregory were leaving their homes as the waters continued to rise. |
| Julian Taylor, 72, and his wife Mary, 68, initially resisted evacuation even after a police helicopter hovered overhead and advised them to flee. | Julian Taylor, 72, and his wife Mary, 68, initially resisted evacuation even after a police helicopter hovered overhead and advised them to flee. |
| But Mr Taylor said: "Nine inches came up in just a few hours. It was awful. We are out now, we've put the dogs in kennels and we are staying with friends on a short-term basis but ultimately we have nowhere to go." | But Mr Taylor said: "Nine inches came up in just a few hours. It was awful. We are out now, we've put the dogs in kennels and we are staying with friends on a short-term basis but ultimately we have nowhere to go." |
| Maria Mae left her cottage after contaminated water poured in. | Maria Mae left her cottage after contaminated water poured in. |
| "It's terrible. We moved to this beautiful place to retire, because we love Somerset," she said. "It's so devastating to see it going underwater. I am living like a refugee at the moment out of five bags. My husband cried his eyes out. He was crying like a baby. I have never seen him cry in all my life. I have no idea where we are going to go." | "It's terrible. We moved to this beautiful place to retire, because we love Somerset," she said. "It's so devastating to see it going underwater. I am living like a refugee at the moment out of five bags. My husband cried his eyes out. He was crying like a baby. I have never seen him cry in all my life. I have no idea where we are going to go." |
| Another striking evacuation was organised by the Somerset farmer James Winslade, whose cattle were moved by a convoy of neighbours' tractors to the dry sheds of Sedgemoor livestock market in Bridgwater. "It's a nightmare out there," said Winslade. "They were getting stressed and anxious. We had to get them somewhere dry." In all around 1,000 head of cattle were being moved from the Levels. | Another striking evacuation was organised by the Somerset farmer James Winslade, whose cattle were moved by a convoy of neighbours' tractors to the dry sheds of Sedgemoor livestock market in Bridgwater. "It's a nightmare out there," said Winslade. "They were getting stressed and anxious. We had to get them somewhere dry." In all around 1,000 head of cattle were being moved from the Levels. |
| More than 140 miles away in the House of Commons, the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, announced an extra £30m for emergency repairs and maintenance on top of the £100m the prime minister said would be made available on Wednesday. But only £30m will be available this year and no extra money for building new flood defences in future was announced. | More than 140 miles away in the House of Commons, the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, announced an extra £30m for emergency repairs and maintenance on top of the £100m the prime minister said would be made available on Wednesday. But only £30m will be available this year and no extra money for building new flood defences in future was announced. |
| Pickles criticised Smith for suggesting there was a choice to be made between protecting "front rooms or farmland". He also said lessons would be learned from the current crisis including "the local accountability of quangos". | Pickles criticised Smith for suggesting there was a choice to be made between protecting "front rooms or farmland". He also said lessons would be learned from the current crisis including "the local accountability of quangos". |
| So far more than 5,000 properties in England have been affected by flooding. During a visit to Birmingham the prime minister said he would visit Somerset "when the time is right" but insisted the top priority was co-ordinating the government's response. | So far more than 5,000 properties in England have been affected by flooding. During a visit to Birmingham the prime minister said he would visit Somerset "when the time is right" but insisted the top priority was co-ordinating the government's response. |
| He said: "When it's right for me to visit I'll be there, don't worry. I think it's absolutely vital. We've had ministerial visits in the past and there will be more to come but the most important thing right now is to co-ordinate all the effort for people in Somerset." | He said: "When it's right for me to visit I'll be there, don't worry. I think it's absolutely vital. We've had ministerial visits in the past and there will be more to come but the most important thing right now is to co-ordinate all the effort for people in Somerset." |
| The shadow environment secretary, Maria Eagle, said the government was "caught out" by the floods. "It took far too long for ministers to realise the seriousness of the situation. There have been 21 meetings of [the emergency committee] Cobra but it is far from clear what all the talk has achieved." | The shadow environment secretary, Maria Eagle, said the government was "caught out" by the floods. "It took far too long for ministers to realise the seriousness of the situation. There have been 21 meetings of [the emergency committee] Cobra but it is far from clear what all the talk has achieved." |
| She also accused ministers of "fiddling the figures" over flood defence spending, after Pickles used a different baseline from that of Cameron on Wednesday. Annual flood defence spending has fallen by 15% under the coalition. | She also accused ministers of "fiddling the figures" over flood defence spending, after Pickles used a different baseline from that of Cameron on Wednesday. Annual flood defence spending has fallen by 15% under the coalition. |