Shropshire braced as more rain on way

England and Wales were braced for flooding today as heavy rain continued to wreak havoc across the country.

The downpour, coupled with high winds, battered Shropshire and Mid Wales yesterday, with forecasters warning that more is on its way. Trees were uprooted, roads were flooded and low lying farmland was left saturated. The main road through Ironbridge was blocked when a tree fell.

Cordelia Beardsmore, 49, from Stirchley, said the tree just missed a house when it fell across The Wharfage near the Swan Inn, just after 6pm yesterday.

She said: "It fell straight across the road and missed a house by about 2ft at the very most."

The A518 near Newport was also partially blocked yesterday morning by a fallen tree.

And a motorist was taken to hospital with minor injuries after his car overturned at Junction 4 at Shifnal on the M54 yesterday at about 10.30am.

The air ambulance was grounded so the crew used a fast response vehicle to get to the accident.

River levels were also continuing to rise.

The Environment Agency said the level at the Buildwas Gauge was 3.88 metres this morning and rising to a peak of 4.2 metres.

At the Bridgnorth Gauge the reading was 3.12 metres this morning and expected to rise to 3.5 later today.

In Telford more than half an inch (14.1mm) of rain fell yesterday with nearly 5.5ins (138mm) falling since the start of the month.

Nearly an inch of rain (22.1mm) fell in Shropshire yesterday with 5ins (134.6mm) falling this month, more than half of the 9ins (220.6mm) which has fallen this year.

Flood alerts have been issued for the Severn, Teme, Onny and Corve upstream of Ludlow, the Teme downstream of Ludlow, the Rea and Cound Brooks and the Severn-Vyrnwy confluence at Llanymynech.

Wednesday's meeting at Ascot has been abandoned due to a waterlogged track.

The Badminton horse trials have also been called off with the ground described as 'totally waterlogged'. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had been due to attend the final day.

At Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Paralympic archers bidding for a place at the Games were left in limbo when the weather hit the first selection shoot.