Flash floods cause misery for Shropshire motorists
Motorways and main roads were closed and thousands of drivers delayed today as torrential rain brought chaos across the Midlands.
Both the M6 and M5 were shut along with a series of main routes in Shropshire as gales lashed the region.
Torrential downpours – which saw 20mm (0.8ins) of rain in just 24 hours – forced the closure of the A454 at Worfield for much of the day.
The A49 at Leebotwood, near Church Stretton, and the A41 at Tern Hill, were also shut by flash floods.
The A454 Wolverhampton Road at Worfield was closed between the village and the top of The Hermitage, leading down to Bridgnorth.
Drivers from Wolverhampton were diverted towards Sutton Maddock onto the main A442 Telford to Kidderminster Road.
The single-track diversion soon began to flood itself and traffic slowed to a crawl as motorists attempted to pass each other.
It was the second time the stretch of road had been affected by floods in the last five months.
Worfield Parish Council chairman, Des Plain, said: "Shropshire Council's highways team needs to talk with the landowners to stop this from happening.
"Everyone knows the short cuts now so we've got big vehicles travelling along roads within Worfield that just cannot take them. It's such a nuisance."
Conditions are set to improve tomorrow but with more rain forecast drivers are being warned to avoid driving through flood water.
Inspector Graham Preece, of West Mercia police, said there had been no reports of any persons or vehicles stuck in flood water.
He said: "We advise motorists not to attempt to drive through flood water.
"It often looks deceptively shallow and drivers should not take the risk."
Two lorries crashed on the M5 just before 7am, spilling diesel across the southbound carriageway near junction one at West Bromwich.
