A driver was pulled from his submerged car yesterday as widespread flooding hit parts of the country.
The man was trying to cross a ford early yesterday morning when he became trapped in his car in deep water. Pictures show responders from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service using ropes to get him to safety near Condover.
An ambulance crew took him to hospital for precautionary checks. In Axminster, Devon, two vehicles got stuck at Weycroft Bridge and others were stranded elsewhere, with conditions in the area described as bleak. Swathes of Devon farmland were submerged and cows and sheep had to huddle on tiny patches of land where they could still stand.
Britain has been lashed by heavy rain in recent days, even closing city routes including Dovedale Road in Liverpool. And parts of the country have been told to expect more flooding. The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for rain covering much of northern and eastern England and North Wales.
Some places could get 2.5in to 3in of rain – on already saturated ground –which is likely to bring further localised flooding as well as more travel disruption and possible power cuts. Flood warnings have been issued across the Midlands and south-west England. In the past month some places in the Midlands and southern England have had three or four times the expected monthly rainfall.
In Woburn, Beds, there has been more than 16in of rain since the start of the month compared to the 2in expected during an average September. Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said the low-pressure system causing the deluges was now drifting gradually eastwards, with the main focus of the rainfall moving to the east of England today. He said: “Generally there will be a dryer feel for much of the UK tomorrow, and getting dryer as the day goes on.”
Tomorrow and Thursday would be mainly dry, he said, but a second low-pressure system is expected on Friday, bringing with it more downpours.
He added: “By the time we get into Friday afternoon and towards the weekend we’re looking at further rain moving into western areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and then, by the time we get to Saturday, that is more widely wet for much of the UK.”
