River Severn on flood alert

The River Severn in Shropshire was on the verge of breaking its banks today after a deluge of heavy rain across the county over the weekend.

A flood alert has been issued by the Environment Agency for the river and the Severn Vyrnwy Confluence, warning people to be prepared as flooding is possible.

A spokeswoman for the EA said its highest gauge in Shropshire at Crew Green, near Shrewsbury, was peaking at 5.6m this morning.

The river in Shrewsbury was expected to peak at about 2.7m tonight, the Agency said.

The town's Frankwell car park was closed today, causing snarl ups around the town. Officials say it will not reopen until river levels recede.

The river was also heavily swollen at Ironbridge throughout the weekend.

The rising water levels reached benches and bins on the riverbank in the Gorge, but caused no damage.

Visitors found some of the lowest riverside footpaths in Ironbridge were impassable due to the water.

In Mid Wales however, things were today getting back to normality with the Dyfi Bridge in Machynlleth re-opening to traffic.

But three flood alerts remain in place for the Upper Severn, River Wye and Dyfi Catchment. Powys County Council said it was reporting no road closures today.

An EA spokesman said they were expecting the situation to ease in Shropshire with the Met Office predicting a dry spell over the next few days.

She said: "The river will peak in Shrewsbury tonight which is still a flood alert but we are not expecting much more rain over the next few days.

"We are not planning to put up the flood defences but we will keep an eye on the situation."