Severe weather warning for Wales and south-west with more rain forecast

Resident John Sanson looks at a flooded road in Felpham, near Bognor Regis, in West Sussex. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

More torrential showers are expected to sweep across the country on Wednesday, bringing the risk of flooding to areas that have so far escaped the deluge.

The Met Office said parts of south-west England were likely to bear the brunt of the next wave of heavy showers, with up to 60mm of rain – around the average for the whole of June – threatening to hit Cornwall.

More bad news is predicted for west Wales, still mopping up after the "once-in-a-lifetime" floods that wreaked havoc over the weekend, where up to 30mm of rain may fall on the saturated ground.

Scientists are investigating fears that the heavy rain may have swept potentially harmful metals such as lead and zinc from old mines downstream into farmer's fields and close to villages and towns.

Teams of surveyors are checking roads, bridges and dams that may have been damaged in the downpours and the Cardiff government has promised to look sympathetically at any appeals from local authorities to help with rebuilding.

The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for the south-west of England and Wales. Andy Page, its chief forecaster, said: "Due to the nature of showers, some areas will miss them altogether, but where they do occur, large amounts of rainfall are possible in a short space of time which has the potential to cause flooding."

David Bunt, the Environment Agency's emergency planning manager for the south-west region, said: "We are keeping a close watch on river levels, as the weekend's heavy rain has left many areas more vulnerable to flooding.

"Environment Agency teams have been working round the clock, with other emergency responders, checking flood defences, clearing blockages, monitoring river levels and issuing flood alerts or flood warnings where necessary."

By Tuesday night more than 30 flood alerts – meaning that flooding is possible – were still in place in all areas of England except the north-west. Four of the more serious flood warnings had been issued, two in the south-east, two further north in Bedfordshire.

One of the worst-hit areas in England was West Sussex, where firefighters had to use boats to reach around 250 homes cut off in Elmer, near Bognor Regis. More than 30 people had to be rescued from holiday parks in Sussex.

People who had been driven out of their homes were sheltered in rest centres and in bed and breakfasts.

Some schools were closed and A-roads shut. There were lengthy delays further north on the M3 in Hampshire after two lanes were closed because of flooding.

It was not only humans that were in danger. The RSPCA rescued a herd of 21 cows that had been trapped on a patch of high ground when the river Arun broke its banks in West Sussex.

In the Welsh assembly, Carl Sergeant, minister for local government and communities, said the devastation caused in west Wales had been "astonishing." He said at one point a device to measure flow recorded 250 tonnes of water passing every second.

He said he was shocked at reports that some insurance company representatives had been telling people to put furniture contaminated with raw sewage back into their homes and said officials would be talking with the industry to make sure people got the right advice.

Members representing some of the areas that were affected expressed concern that tourism in west and mid Wales would be harmed by the pictures of devastation beamed around the world. Sergeant emphasised that the flooding was very localised and Wales was "open for business".

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found at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/12/severe-weather-warning-flooding-england-wales?newsfeed=true