‘Danger to life’ flood warnings issued as cars and homes under water in Wales

‘Danger to life’ flood warnings are in place across the UK as a combination of heavy rain caused by Storm Bert and thawing snow brings a deluge to communities up and down the country.
Several areas in Wales saw some of the worst flooding on Sunday with homes and cars underwater in towns across the country.
Rising waters have been reported in Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare, with landslides in north Wales.
It comes after as much as 64.4mm of rain fell in Capel Curig, north Wales, in 12 hours on Saturday and wind gusts of up to 82mph were recorded in the Welsh village.
The Met Office warned Storm Bert is likely to cause “further heavy rain” and flooding for large parts of southern Wales until 1pm on Sunday, with a yellow rain warning in place.
More than 200 flood warnings are in place across England, Scotland and Wales, with the Met Office warning there is potential for fast-flowing or deep floodwater to cause danger to life on Sunday after heavy downpours and howling winds battered much of the country.
A yellow wind warning has come into force for large parts of England, with gusts of up to 65mph expected in some places.
Another yellow warning for rain remains in place for much of south-west of England, where the Met Office is warning some communities may be cut off by flooded roads.
Wind warnings are also in place in the Scottish Isles and Northern Ireland.
Dozens of red flood warnings have been issued, meaning flooding is expected and residents and business owners should “act now”.
Three men have died on the roads during Storm Bert and thousands of homes have been without power.
West Midlands Fire Service said its crews rescued a person trapped in a car stranded in floodwater in Walsall on Sunday morning.
Milder temperatures are causing the snow that covered the north of England and much of Scotland earlier in the week to melt.
The National Weather Service has warned some communities may be cut off by flooded roads, particularly in the west of England.
Heavy and persistent rain is set to hit the south-west of England into Sunday, with a chance that some places over Dartmoor could see 100-150mm of rainfall, the Met Office said.
Strong winds will exacerbate the impact of heavy rain across the country.
Travel disruption continued into Sunday and ferry operator DFDS has cancelled services on some routes until Monday, including its Newhaven to Dieppe sailings.
The M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire is closed again on Sunday because of strong winds, and the A66 in North Yorkshire and Cumbria is closed to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles in both directions between the A1M and M6 because of the gusty weather.
In Wales, the A40 was closed due to a fallen tree, impacting road users from Sennybridge to Brecon, according to Dyfed-Powys Police.
In south-east Wales, Gwent Police reported flooding on Sunday morning on the A465, travelling from Merthyr Tydfil towards Tredegar.
Diversions are in place to manage traffic and ensure driver safety.
A tree blocking the railway between Reading and Basingstoke caused delays and cancellations to trains between the two stations, and in Surrey all lines between Cobham & Stoke D’abernon and Oxshott were blocked by a fallen tree.
Around 350,000 homes have lost power so far as strong winds tore down power lines, though most have been reconnected.
A spokesperson for the Energy Networks Association said on Sunday: “Electricity network operators have restored power to 325,000 homes so far after Storm Bert damaged power infrastructure yesterday and today.
“The storm is forecast to move across England throughout today, with weather warnings and flood alerts remaining in force.”
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