A SEVERE flood warning for “danger to life” has been issued as more rain is set to hit the UK in the wake of Storm Chandra.
Swathes of the country have been cautioned of potential disruption, with the Environment Agency issuing 65 flood warnings and 150 flood alerts.
Residents were urgently evacuated from Iford Bridge Home Park on the Lower Stour in Dorset on Wednesday, where the “danger to life” warning remains in place.
The council helped people leave their homes, with residents instructed to pack an overnight bag and move pets and vehicles to safety.
The Environment Agency warned: “River levels remain very high and flooding is expected to continue today and tomorrow.”
“Stay away from floodwater – it contains hidden dangers such as open manhole covers, sewage and chemicals,” it added.
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More wet weather so soon after Storm Chandra means many rivers are likely to breach their banks in parts where already waterlogged ground cannot take on any further rain.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for southwest England until Saturday morning.
It said the warning for rain “is expected to lead to some transport disruption and exacerbate flooding in places”.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Rebekah Hicks said: “Over the next few days we’ll see more rain into areas of the country which have already been hit by flooding, and the saturated ground contributes to the ongoing likelihood of some disruption caused by the coming rain.
“The totals we’re expecting aren’t comparable to Storm Chandra, but with around 25 mm possible each day in parts of the yellow warning areas, it could be sufficient to lead to difficult travel conditions and further flooding in places.”
The agency has also issued another yellow weather warning for rain in Northern Ireland on Friday.
There, it said “spells of heavy rain” could cause disruption, particularly in Antrim and Down.
Some of the worst affected areas there could see up to 60mm of rain, which will also be accompanied by strong winds.
Here, the impact could be worse than in the south west, with the Met Office warning of the chance flooding could cut off communities, while power cuts are also possible.
This period of unsettled weather and flooding comes in the wake of Storms Chandra and Ingrid, which combined have seen the UK battered by high winds and heavy rain.
The storms wrought chaos across the country, with towering storm waves and gale-force winds endangering people and property.
Brits were hit with road closures and cancelled flights on Monday after Chandra’s record-breaking downpours left swathes of the country underwater.
A lorry driver tragically died while crashing into a river in Hampshire earlier this week.
Cops confirmed that a man in his 60s, died at the scene in North Gorley, after the fatal crash with the area hit by severe weather.
In Somerset, the council declared a major incident, saying there had been “extensive flooding”.
Council leader Bill Revans said: “The decision to declare a major incident at this stage means we are well placed to respond to this ongoing situation.
“Storm Chandra brought more than 50mm of rain… on top of already saturated land, and this has caused widespread disruption.”
Firefighters in the region rescued people from 25 vehicles stranded in 3ft-high floodwater yesterday morning.
This followed hot on the heals of Storm Ingrid, which saw the UK hit with flooding, snow and gale-force winds last week.
In Devon, part of the historic Teignmouth Pier was destroyed by crashing waves and strong winds as the coast was battered by the storm.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Stephen Kocher explained the reasons behind the current unsettled outlook: “The temperature contrast in North America is helping to invigorate the jet stream, which is a driver for much of the UK’s weather.
“With the jet stream strengthened, this helps to develop and strengthen low pressure systems and push them towards our shores, resulting in the weather we’ve seen over recent days.
“This is likely to bring further unsettled weather into next week.”