Published on : Monday, February 10, 2014
In a continuation of the wet weather in the UK large areas of England and Wales were on flood alert as another storm was poised to hit the south and south-west with winds of up to 80mph. Somerset, Devon and Dorset at greatest risk of flooding with trains in and out of West Country halted owing to landslip.Railway services to and from the West Country were halted after a fresh landslip at Castle Carey in Somerset blocked the line to Exeter,
adding to the disruption caused by the track being washed away in Dawlish, Devon in a previous storm. Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter, tweeted: “Just got worse: Landslip shuts Waterloo line at Crew kerne – no trains at all in or out of the West Country. Nearest services Bristol & Yeovil.”
In flood hit Chertsey a seven-year-old boy died and two adults were taken to hospital after emergency services were called to a house. The boy was declared dead at nearby St Peter’s hospital. A man in his 40s, believed to be his father and named locally as Kye Gbangbola, and a woman in her 30s – thought to be his mother – remain in hospital in serious conditions.
Fifteen people, including Surrey police officers, were also taken to hospital as a precaution. Police refused to comment on speculation the death was related to carbon monoxide poisoning. Access to the family’s home was hindered by flood waters covering nearby roads.
Chief Superintendent Dave Miller said: “We cannot rule out that there may be a link to flooding in the local area and whilst the investigation is ongoing local residents should follow sensible precautions.”The flooded Somerset Levels, where many residents have already been forced from their homes after weeks of heavy rain, remain at the highest risk of continued flooding on Saturday.
The Environment Agency said there was a risk of flooding along the coast of Devon and Dorset from the combination of high tides and high winds.There are more than 300 low-level flood alerts and nearly 200 medium-risk flood warnings in place across Wales and southern and central England as far north as Hull.The Met Office issued an amber warning of high winds for the south of England and Wales and yellow rain warnings for the south and west of England and Wales.”After a short lull, winds will increase from the south-west during the course of Saturday with severe gales affecting coastal districts, bringing gusts of 60-70mph and isolated 80mph at the most exposed locations within the amber warning area. Large waves are also expected to affect south-west facing coasts. Further inland, gusts of 50-60 mph are likely.”
Tags: Fresh warnings issued as flood threat looms large on UK claiming a child, News Pick
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