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Flood warnings as more storms forecast for New Year's Day

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Flood warnings are issued across England and Wales as forecasters predict more heavy rain and strong winds for the first day of 2014.

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Shropshire student sees 'insane' storm hit Aberystwyth

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gallery] A university student from Shropshire has described the "insane" scenes as storms battered the Welsh coast causing flooding and thousands of pounds worth of damage.

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Dozens of flood warnings remain in place across the UK as fresh storms are expected to roll in overnight.

Storms have caused flooding in Northern Ireland, while roads and trains have been affected in many parts of the UK.

It has been issued for the Lower Stour at Iford Bridge Home Park, Bournemouth.

The 47-year-old was pulled out of Osney Lock in Oxford on Saturday evening but he died at the scene.

Police said it was a "tragic incident" that highlighted the dangers of using flooded pathways.

BBC forecaster Laura Gilchrist said the frequency of the recent storms to batter parts of the UK was highly unusual.

The storms hit the transport network with major roads closed earlier in areas including Ayrshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Pembrokeshire, the Isle of Wight and Wiltshire.

Residents in Dorset and Oxfordshire, already inundated by high waters, were again urged by the Environment Agency to prepare for "significant flooding" on the Thames, Dorset Stour and Frome.

Flooding is also expected to continue on the Somerset Levels, and rivers in the South East of England, including the Severn, remain "very high".

"Environment Agency teams remain out on the ground across the country and will continue to work around the clock to protect communities at risk," said the agency's flood risk manager Jonathan Day.

The Thames Barrier closed at 14:00 GMT because of "ongoing high flows and spring tides" and reopened on Sunday evening.

More than 200 flood alerts - meaning "flooding is possible, be prepared" - are also in place.

In Scotland, 10 flood warnings are in place in Perth and Kinross while, elsewhere in Scotland, a further 15 flood alerts are in place.

The Environment Agency says around 220 homes properties have been flooded to date.

Forecasters are warning of more coastal flooding on Monday.

"This, combined with waves driven by the winds in UK waters on Monday, will generate wave heights of 7-10m over parts of western Scotland, Wales and south-west England, and 3-7m in much of the English Channel and Irish Sea," it added.

The Met Office said the public should be aware of the dangers of waves crashing onshore and over topping shore lines and sea fronts.

Facing accusations that flood defence budgets have been slashed, Prime Minister David Cameron earlier said he expected "record levels" of spending over the next seven years, including "£2.3bn in this four-year period".

Shadow environment secretary Maria Eagle said the government had cut funding by £100m in real terms.

"It's all very well the prime minister today talking about investment in the future but 130,000 people have been affected now and they want to know why there's been this big cut in support," she told Sky News.

It comes after the government confirmed 1,500 jobs would go at the Environment Agency, with some reports suggesting this included 550 from its floods team.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has said the agency needs to make efficiency savings but he has received assurances about front-line services.

On Sunday afternoon he chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee "to ensure everything is being done on the ground to prepare for bad weather ahead".

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UK storms: Warnings bring fresh coastal flood fears

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Dozens of flood warnings remain in place, prompting fears of fresh flooding, while forecasters warn of high winds and large waves on Monday.

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Despite the wind and rain, December also saw more sunshine than usual. The UK as a whole recorded 44.2 hours of sunshine, 8% more than average. But again figures varied across the country with England recording 57.6 hours, 22% above average, while Scotland measured 19% below average sunshine for the month.

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It was the stormiest December since 1969 and also one of the wettest on record. Find out more about December's weather in statistics.

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'No blank cheques' for Aberystwyth promenade's repair

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No "blank cheques" will be available for the rebuilding of Aberystwyth's storm-damaged seafront, Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies says.

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Key Questions:

1/ Why did Aberystwyth town council decide on 6/1/14 to evacuate people from houses near the sea front and close some roads as well?

2/ Having assessed the damage to Aberystwyth, what do you think the council’s main priorities should be to repair the town and get it back to normal?

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A storm surge has reached north Wales after leaving a trail of chaos along the Welsh coastline.

About 30 properties were flooded in Cardigan where a pregnant woman was rescued and some people trapped in their homes.

Dozens of roads are closed and the rail network is badly affected around Wales.

In Gwynedd a lifeboat rescued five people from flooded caravans in Pwllheli.

A flood rescue team also helped four people at a farm in Llanbedr near Barmouth.

The RNLI said two elderly men and a woman, along with a younger woman, were rescued from water which was waist deep.

In Aberystwyth student Tom Rule said he woke up to see the promenade "destroyed and huge waves crashing onto it".

"All the paving stones were up, a car had been washed away and huge waves were crashing onto the road," he added.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were busy with flooding incidents in Fishguard, Cardigan, Aberaeron and Aberystwyth.

The exceptional high tide was due to reach Anglesey and Flintshire by lunchtime.

In Flintshire rest centres were set up for people who were advised to leave their homes at Greenfield and Talacre.

The council has already closed Station Road in Talacre at the request of police.

In communities along the whole of Wales' coastline dozens of roads are closed and the rail network is also badly affected.

Arriva Trains is advising passengers not to travel where possible on main line services and Virgin Trains suspending services from 11:30GMT.

Four severe flood warnings remain in place in Flintshire, Barmouth in Gwynedd, and in the Usk Estuary at Newport. There are also 36 flood warnings.

"Severe flood warnings are only made when it is considered that there is a severe risk to life and property and the fact that this has been issued needs to be taken seriously," said Ch Supt Jeremy Vaughan of North Wales Police, who is leading the co-ordinated response at Greenfield and Point of Ayr in Flintshire.

"People living in the affected areas need to heed the warning and make arrangements now to secure their own safety," he said.

In Barmouth a man was rescued by boat from a flooded cafe on the beach.

Flood rescue team volunteers from across north Wales are now assembling at St Asaph, Denbighshire, to deploy with another flood boat if it is needed.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said properties had been flooded in St Mary Street in Cardigan leaving some people trapped.

Among those rescued was a pregnant woman and fire crews from Crymych, Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan were using wading equipment and boats to reach homes.

Earlier, as the high tide hit south Wales, police were called to move people from Burry Port pier in Carmarthenshire.

Ron Cant from Carmarthenshire council said some people were ignoring the dangers posed by the high winds and tides and the police had been called.

"Our rangers have had problems at Burry Port particularly where people have been driving down and lots going on to the pier.

"We've had to call for police assistance. They have started to move them out," said Mr Cant.

The council had crews working through the night helping out at flooding incidents. More staff are now being called in from annual leave to help if needed as the bad weather is forecast for the weekend.

Up to 50 caravans have been flooded at Carmarthen Bay caravan park in Kidwelly.

In Pendine the high tide was reported to have smashed through flood boards put up to plug gaps in the sea wall, and the Beach Hotel has been flooded.

The high tide - thought to be the worst in 17 years - started to hit the coast of Pembrokeshire after 07:00 GMT.

Pembrokeshire council has already advised householders and business owners whose properties are at risk of flooding to prepare for continued high tides over the weekend by stocking up on sandbags and tarpaulins at local builders' merchants.

On Friday morning incidents caused by the flooding included:

Firefighters sent to Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan to help a woman trapped by flooding in a caravan near the beach

A4042 closed near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire after River Usk burst its banks

A466 blocked due to landslip near Trelleck Road at Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire

A4066 closed at Laugharne in Carmarthenshire after river Taf burst its banks

People trapped in their homes by floodwater in Cardigan, Ceredigion

Main road in Pendine closed due to flooding

Around 100 homes without electricity in Carmarthenshire after lightning strikes

Lower St Clears Road, Carmarthenshire, impassable due to flooding

Aberystwyth promenade closed

Road closed between Borth, Ceredigion and Treddol due to flooding

A487 closed between Newgale and Solva, Pembrokeshire after a pebble protection wall was breached

A487 closed at lower town Fishguard due to flooding

Amroth - road closed after sea wall breached and road was partially washed away

Dyfed-Powys Police said the road is impassable in the Rickeston Hill area of Milford Haven

A496 closed between Water Street in Barmouth and A470 Dolgellau

Barmouth, Gwynedd - road closed by Last Inn pub

A477 Cleddau Bridge closed and warnings of strong gusts on the A48 Severn Bridge, M4 Briton Ferry Bridge and A55 Britannia Bridge

A4075 Carew Bridge impassable

Arriva Trains Wales - passengers advised not to travel. Details on Arriva Trains Wales website

Virgin Trains suspended in north Wales from 11:30 GMT

Ferries - Stena Line sailings between Fishguard and Rosslare cancelled

Some homes in Newport were evacuated overnight as a precaution.

Homes on the Lighthouse Park Estate in Wentlooge Levels, Newport and in the area north of Crindau, Pill were affected.

Joanne Sherwood, from Natural Resources Wales (NRW), said: "This is the some of the highest tides since 1997, and on top of that it's very windy so that's causing about a one metre surge on top of the tide.

"We think this is serious and we've had our teams out and about checking defences making sure things are in good working order," she told BBC Radio Wales.

"People living in the affected areas need to heed the warning and make arrangements now to secure their own safety."

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind which remains in force until midnight on Friday.

Meteorological officer Charlie Powell told Radio Wales: "We've already seen gusts of up to 70mph across some exposed western parts of Wales and it's the wind that's going to be the crux of this next batch of severe weather.

"We can expect to see tides peaking as we go from south to north and as these strong winds coincide with those high tides and push that water it gives really high waves and that just increases the risk of coastal flooding.

"It's relatively rare to see all these things combining at exactly the same time and it's exactly why these risks are so high this time."

He added that the hills and mountains of Wales will be worst hit by the winds.

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Storm surge brings flooding chaos moving up Wales' coast

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A storm surge is causing flooding along the Wales coastline as high winds coincide with spring tides closing roads and trapping people in their homes.

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Police evacuated homes as last night's high tide hit the already battered beach on the Welsh coast

The coastal town of Aberystwyth has been left 'destroyed' by the vicious storms that have battered Britain's coastlines.

The seafront looks like it has been hit by an earthquake with cracked roads, scattered debris and metal bollards smashed to pieces by the powerful wave.

Police began going from door to door yesterday, asking residents to leave.

Aberystwyth University said it had moved all of its students out of seafront halls of residences.

Millie Farmer, 19, a second-year undergraduate, told Sky News: "I've never seen anything like it before.

"There were six foot waves crashing on to the beach.

"It was scary - and quite exciting. It must be awful for people whose businesses and homes have been damaged.

"The promenade has been closed. North Beach has been completely destroyed. The slabs on the promenade have been uprooted."

The combination of gale-force winds and unusually high winter tides caused widespread flooding in many coastal areas.

And with further high tides to come this morning, the threat is not over yet.

Four severe flood warnings remain in place, three in the Midlands and one in the South West.

There are 100 'severe' warnings in place across the country.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for almost the entire south of England.

Forecasters are expecting more than an inch of rain to fall within just six hours on Saturday.

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Pictured: Aberystwyth beach left 'destroyed' after seafront pounded by huge storm waves

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Police evacuated homes as last night's high tide hit the already battered beach on the Welsh coast

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All buildings along the promenade in Aberystwyth have been evacuated as further high tides and an "exceptional" wave swell are expected later. Residents were warned to vacate properties as soon as possible and use a nearby support centre that has been provided.

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Huge waves have battered southern and western coasts of the UK, as forecasters warn exposed areas could see a fresh round of flooding.

Waves of up to 27ft (8m) were recorded off Land's End, Cornwall.

The environment secretary said seven people had died and 1,700 homes had been flooded in England due to storms and flooding in December and January.

There are currently three severe flood warnings in place in England and travel by road and rail is being hit.

In Aberystwyth, all buildings along the promenade have been evacuated after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) warned of an "exceptional" wave swell expected later.

Western and southern areas have borne the brunt of the latest severe weather, with flooding leaving some villages in Somerset cut off, properties flooded in Cornwall, rivers bursting their banks in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, and residents forced from their homes in the centre of Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The Environment Agency has warned communities in Dorset, Oxfordshire, south Wiltshire, Hampshire and along the Thames to "remain prepared" for more flooding on Monday and the rest of the week.

The latest travel disruption includes:

Damage to railway lines caused by recent high winds and heavy rain is affecting Arriva Trains Wales services in many Welsh regions

Buses are replacing trains on Northern Rail services between Carlisle and Workington, with disruption expected to last up to a week

Island Line services on the Isle of Wight are suspended until further notice because of severe flooding in the Ryde area

A recent landslip caused by poor weather means buses are replacing Southern trains between Horsham and Dorking

The Rail Delivery Group, which speaks on behalf of the rail industry, said despite localised flooding and weather damage, 96% of scheduled services were operating

Major roads in areas including North Ayrshire, Pembrokeshire, Oxfordshire, West Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Norfolk, Wiltshire, Isle of Wight, Somerset, Dorset and Devon are closed because of flooding

There are currently three severe flood warnings for parts of Dorset - indicating danger to life and property - for the Lower Stour, Chiswell and Preston Beach near Weymouth.

There are also scores of lower-level flood warnings and alerts in force in England and Wales, as well as several in Scotland.

The Met Office has yellow weather warnings - the lowest of its three levels - in place for wind and rain for south and south-eastern England.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired a Cobra emergency meeting to ensure agencies are ready to respond, and made a statement to the Commons on the impact of the bad weather.

Mr Paterson told MPs there was "a risk of groundwater flooding in Dorset and Wiltshire for some time to come and we need to remain vigilant".

"Approximately 1,700 properties have been flooded in England so far, with Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset particularly affected, although there were also impacts in the Midlands and the North West," he said.

There had also been flooding in Northern Ireland and Scotland and 140 properties in Wales flooded, he said.

Mr Paterson said the country's electricity network operators deserved credit for reconnecting "unprecedented" number of people cut-off, but added there were "lessons to be learned about how customers are supported and informed during power cuts".

He again defended spending on flood defences, following criticism over the weekend, saying the government was spending "more than ever before".

Prof David Balmforth of the Institution of Civil Engineers told the BBC: "I don't think we've woken up to the increased threat of flooding in the future due to climate change.

"What we're seeing today as a rare event is likely to become much more frequent in the future and therefore it's important that we do continue to invest in flood defences."

Rebecca Davies, pro vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University, said about 150 students in seafront accommodation had been moved to another campus and a further 100 in private homes have also left.

Exams scheduled for this week have been postponed until next week, she said, and students who have not yet returned to the university are being urged to stay away until the middle of the week.

The village of Muchelney, on the Somerset Levels, has been cut off for about four days.

Residents David and Tracey Bradley said they were making daily trips in their canoe to fetch essential supplies.

"It's pretty desolate really, especially for the elderly and the children," said Mrs Bradley.

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UK storms: Giant waves hit amid fresh flooding fears

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Huge waves batter southern and western coasts of the UK, as forecasters warn coastal areas could see more flooding.