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Saturday 7 July 2012

Severe flood warnings in South West as heavy rain falls


Severe flood warnings in South West as heavy rain falls

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Severe flood warnings have been issued for parts of south-west England, as river levels rise after heavy rain.
The Environment Agency said lives were in danger by parts of the River Yealm, Devon, and Burton Bradstock, Dorset.
In Northumberland, motorists have been warned to be aware of standing water after a man, 20, died when his car came off a road during torrential rain.
Some 74 flood warnings and 143 flood alerts remain in England and Wales, with 13 flood warnings in Scotland.
Meanwhile, officials at Silverstone on the Northamptonshire/Buckinghamshire border say motorists who turn up for Formula One Grand Prix qualifying sessions on Saturday will be turned away because of muddy conditions in its car parks.
Up to 30,000 ticket holders travelling by car have been asked to stay away but ticket holders for car parks away from the circuit, those camping elsewhere and able to arrive on foot, or planning to use the park and ride service, should still be able to access the site.
Spokeswoman Katie Tyler apologised to fans and said the circuit was "genuinely upset" by the disruption after heavy rain flooded car parks. All available car parking is now full.
She said a decision would be made on Saturday afternoon whether fans would be allowed into public car parks on Sunday.
The Met Office has amber warnings of rain in force for Dorset, Somerset and parts of Devon.
In other developments:
  • In Midlothian, several drivers had to be rescued from carsovernight, mainly on minor roads in the Rosslyn and Auchendinny area
  • Residents in the Leicestershire village of Sheepy Magna were evacuated from homes after flooding
  • Firefighters were called to protect properties from flooding in Powys and Carmarthenshire
  • Flooding is affecting rail services in England with problems including a landslip near Honiton and flooding at Totnes in Devon
  • Saturday's sessions the Taste of Edinburgh festival have been cancelled after its site on the Meadows was hit by flooding
  • Monday's horse racing meeting at Newton Abbot has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track
The Environment Agency's severe flood warning means there is a danger to life, while a flood warning means immediate action is required.
People by the River Yealm in South Hams, Devon, from Cornwood to Yealmpton have been urged to stay in a safe place, listen to the emergency services and be ready to evacuate their homes.
The same warning has been issued for High Street, Mill Street, Manor Farm and The Rookery in Burton Bradstock, Dorset.

At the scene

With severe flood warnings we knew south Devon would have problems but not where would be worst-affected, so the day started with a call to the Environment Agency.
The River Yealm was expected to flood, but getting there was a problem. I had to turn my car around on three occasions as roads were blocked by flooding.
When I arrived in Yealmpton, a road was partly flooded and river levels were high, some people were trying to protect their properties. Everyone was worried about high tide.
A decision was taken to close Torr Bridge fearing it might collapse, cutting one side of the village off from the other. Along the affected parts of the river were 40 properties and 75 people, although everyone was accounted for. When the water levels dropped the bridge was judged to be safe.
The Environment Agency have used pumps to help emergency services clear flood water from properties and warned people on campsites to stay alert.
It also warned residents to stay away from dangerous flood water, and not to walk or drive through it.
Heather Shepherd, from the National Flood Forum, told the BBC: "There are many properties across the country that actually haven't been affected by flooding before, and this is suddenly arriving on their doorstep unexpectedly."
She said the most important things were to plan what to do with loved ones and pets if you needed to leave your home, and to get your most precious household items up high and safe.
BBC weather forecaster Peter Gibbs said a large area of rain had been concentrating over south-west England and predicted as much as 60-70mm (2.4in-2.8in) of rain in some spots on Saturday.
The Met Office said a low pressure system was set to bring rain and thundery showers to the UK until early next week.