UK floods latest: ‘Devastating’ floods cause train and traffic chaos as 150 weather warnings still in place

A South Wales council leader has warned “clearly live are at risk” due to the flooding.

Asked at a press conference if he believes lives are at risk, Councillor Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council, said: “Well, absolutely, you know, when you got a river flooding in people’s houses, and we’re asking the fire service to rescue people by boat, then clearly lives are at risk.”

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer Fin Monahan said that they have had messages from all over the UK with offers of assistance and they have taken some of the offers up.

West Midlands Fire Service has said its crews rescued a person trapped in a car stranded in floodwater in Walsall on Sunday morning.

Severe flooding had earlier blocked railway lines between Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury on Sunday morning – but all lines have now reopened.

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, South Wales Fire and Rescue, Natural Resources Wales and South Wales Police have declared a major incident for the borough.

The council said “significant” flooding has taken place with the “impact looking to be more significant than the severe impact experienced during Storm Dennis” in 2020.

Rest centres have been set up for residents impacted at Pontypridd Library, Ystrad Sports Centre, Sobell Leisure Centre and Cynon Valley Indoor Bowls Centre.

Hundreds of properties have been flooded in south Wales.

At a press conference in the Rhondda Valley, council leader Andrew Morgan said two to three hundred properties have been affected by flooding.

He said the buildings are a mixture of residential and commercial properties.

Mr Morgan told the press conference the weather was worse than forecast.

“I am amazed that it was only a yellow weather warning issued,” he said. “We absolutely thought on Saturday ... we were preparing for the possibility of an amber warning.

“It didn’t come but we took the decision ourselves to step up our resources and have depots open and crews in.”

Rania Koutsikou, 32, a part-time lecturer and PhD student at the University of South Wales impacted by the flooding in Pontypridd, said: “We woke up around seven o’clock only because our neighbour was knocking on our door saying that we have to move our car.

“Obviously it was already pretty bad even then. We moved our car, moved some of our stuff and our dog upstairs, and we went to our neighbours who offered us help.

“We’re just trying to save what we can. Nobody [official] took any action yesterday, like brought us sandbags or anything. People are very keen to help, as you can see, everyone is around, offering coffee, offering cookies, fire service are here now.

“I think everyone is safe, that’s the most important thing. But obviously it’s hard.”

North Wales Police said a body had been found in the search for 75-year-old Brian Perry, who went missing in the River Conwy near the market town of Llanwrst on Saturday.

The force had put an appeal out to find Mr Perry after he was last seen at around 4.30pm wearing a red Berghaus waterproof jacket and accompanied by his wife and dog. He had been walking near Gower Road, which has been affected by severe flooding due to Storm Bert.

There has been no formal identification but his family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

Chief Inspector Simon Kneale, of North Wales Police, said: “I would like to thank the efforts of all agencies involved in the searches in very difficult conditions and for the local community who supported the teams in the area.

“Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time and they have asked that their privacy is respected.”

Sir Chris Bryant, MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, said there are about 10 different areas in his constituency affected by flooding and a fundraising page has been set up to help those in need.

The MP said the river was 53cm higher in Rhondda than it was during Storm Dennis in February 2020. He said: “There’s about 10 different areas in the constituency where there’s been flooding, some have flooded previously and others are completely new.”

The Rheola pub has been flooded for about the third time in five years and this time it was “like a river running through the middle of it”, he said, while residents on Brook Street in Porth had to be evacuated by firefighters.

Sir Chris said: “Quite a few of the local people who I’ve spoken to today don’t have any insurance as if you’re hard up it’s the last bill you pay.”

He said a fundraising page has been launched to help those in need across the area.

Gusts in exposed coasts could exceed 70mph today, the Met Office has said.

Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: “The strong southerly winds continue today and warnings are in place for central, southern and eastern England, Northern Ireland and western Scotland where gusts could peak at 60 mph and could even reach more than 70 mph along some exposed coasts.