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New storm strikes flood-hit southern England New storm strikes flood-hit southern England
(about 1 hour later)
A second major storm in three days has struck with strong winds and heavy rainfall once more lashing southern England.A second major storm in three days has struck with strong winds and heavy rainfall once more lashing southern England.
The Met Office has warned that a month's worth of rain could fall in some places on Friday and that winds could reach 80mph. The Met Office has warned that a month's worth of rain could fall in some places on Friday and that winds could reach 80mph. After a brief lull in the weather on Thursday, it said that further flooding, uprooted trees and damage to buildings were all possible.
After a brief lull in the weather on Thursday, it said that further flooding, uprooted trees and damage to buildings were all possible. The Environment Agency urged residents in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, West Berkshire and Reading, along with communities on the River Severn in Worcestershire, where on Thursday it issued the latest severe flood warning – indicating danger to life – to take action to protect themselves and their properties. The agency has emailed staff to inform them it has put on hold its controversial redundancy programme - the subject of heated exchanges between David Cameron and Ed Miliband during prime minister's questions - because it was "quite rightly prioritising incident response". The Environment Agency urged residents in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, West Berkshire and Reading, along with communities on the river Severn in Worcestershire – where on Thursday it issued the latest severe flood warning, indicating danger to life – to take action to protect themselves and their properties.
The prime minister said on Friday that the government was "fighting on every front to help people". He added: "We are making sure that today before the next level of the Thames over the weekend we do everything we can to protect more homes and protect more communities." The agency has emailed staff to inform them it has put on hold its controversial redundancy programme – the subject of heated exchanges between David Cameron and Ed Miliband during prime minister's questions – because it was "quite rightly prioritising incident response".
The prime minister said on Friday that the government was "fighting on every front to help people". He said: "We are making sure that today before the next level of the Thames over the weekend we do everything we can to protect more homes and protect more communities."
"Of course I am very sorry for any way that people have suffered. What we have tried to do is stand up the emergency response arrangements as quickly as we could," he added."Of course I am very sorry for any way that people have suffered. What we have tried to do is stand up the emergency response arrangements as quickly as we could," he added.
The Royal Air Force deployed a Tornado jet to capture detailed images of the areas hit by flooding, after a request from those in charge of tackling the crisis in the Thames valley. And Princes William and Harry joined the military response to the flooding in the area on Friday, working with a team of 20 members of the Household Cavalry to help homeowners protect their properties in Datchet, Berkshire. The Royal Air Force deployed a Tornado jet to capture detailed images of the areas hit by flooding, after a request from those in charge of tackling the crisis in the Thames valley. And Princes William and Harry joined the military response to the flooding in the area on Friday, working with a team of 20 members of the Household Cavalry to help homeowners protect their properties in Datchet, Berkshire.
Paul Davies, chief forecaster at the Met Office, warned of a "terrible day" ahead. "Another storm runs north-eastwards across western and northern parts of the UK during Friday and into Saturday, before clearing to the north-east," he said.Paul Davies, chief forecaster at the Met Office, warned of a "terrible day" ahead. "Another storm runs north-eastwards across western and northern parts of the UK during Friday and into Saturday, before clearing to the north-east," he said.
However, Davies did provide a glimmer of hope, forecasting that the outlook for next week would be more typical February weather. "Next week there is a tendency for a bit more gaps between the weather systems as they come through," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "We will see some rain coming through but not to the same intensity that we have been having for the last few weeks. The trend is towards less of the extremes that we experienced. But when the rain does come through, given the sensitivity of the catchments, then it doesn't take a lot to elevate the flood risk yet again." However, Davies did provide a glimmer of hope, forecasting that the outlook for next week would be more typical February weather. "Next week there is a tendency for a bit more gaps between the weather systems as they come through," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The latest storm came as the clean up from Wednesday, when wind speeds reached over 100mph in north-west Wales, continued. The Energy Network Association said there were still about 16,000 properties without power on Friday morning after just over 10,000 households had their supplies restored overnight. "We will see some rain coming through but not to the same intensity that we have been having for the last few weeks. The trend is towards less of the extremes that we experienced. But when the rain does come through, given the sensitivity of the catchments, then it doesn't take a lot to elevate the flood risk yet again."
Disruption also continued on the trains with Network Rail confirming that floodwater is likely to affect signalling and safety equipment "for some time". First Great Western maintained its advice to customers "not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary". The cleanup from Wednesday, when wind speeds reached over 100mph in north-west Wales, continues. The Energy Network Association said there were still about 16,000 properties without power on Friday morning after 10,000 households had their supplies restored overnight.
There remain 14 severe flood warnings in place along the Thames, two on the Somerset Levels, where the water level in Burrowbridge has risen 3 metres in the last 48 hours, and one on the River Severn. At midday on Friday there were also 136 - less serious - flood warnings in place. Disruption continued on the trains with Network Rail confirming that floodwater was likely to affect signalling and safety equipment "for some time". First Great Western maintained its advice to customers "not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary".
There remain 14 severe flood warnings in place along the Thames, two on the Somerset Levels, where the water level in Burrowbridge has risen three metres in the last 48 hours, and one on the river Severn. At midday on Friday there were also 136 flood warnings in place.