Flood barriers go up as water rises across Shropshire

Four flood warnings are in place across Shropshire and the flood barriers were up at both Ironbridge and Shrewsbury.

Forecasters predicted the downpours would continue on into the night and then, after a brief respite, sweep back in again tomorrow with the risk of hail and thunder to add to the problems.

The main Frankwell and Riverside car parks in Shrewsbury were under water and so closed this morning and many county residents awoke to find fields awash.

The A490 Welshpool to Chirbury road remained closed after it was shut yesterday afternoon because of flooding.

The first phase of erecting flood barriers at Ironbridge happened last night and the second phased was being completed this morning.

Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman Russell Griffin said: "The Environment Agency has predicted a significant rise in water levels coming down the River Severn in the next 48 hours.

"They therefore made preparations for the flood barriers to be deployed at 9 last night. Police cones were deployed on the Wharfage as soon as possible to enable the bungs to be put in the gulleys.

"That meant The Wharfage was be closed to traffic from 8 last night."

A Met Office spokesman said the rain today would spread north east across the region, south westerly winds strengthening as the afternoon wore on. The maximum temperature was set to be 13C (55F).

Outbreaks of rain are due to continue into the night, perhaps heavy at times, particularly in the south.

The spokesman said it was then set to turn drier at the end of the night, with strong winds easing and a minimum temperature of 5C (41F) before giving way tomorrow to bright spells with scattered, blustery showers.

The showers will be heavy at times, with a risk of hail and thunder, particularly in the north.

Winds are set to strengthen through the morning and there will be a maximum temperature of 10C (50F).

The Environment Agency had four flood warnings in place in Shropshire.

They were at Quatford, where the level of the River Severn was at 4 metres early today and rising slowly, a peak of 4.3 to 4.6 being expected this afternoon; at Ironbridge and Jackfield, where the level was 4.39 metres and rising, a peak of 4.9 tod 5.4 metres also expected this afternoon; and at the showground and the quarry in Shrewsbury where the level at the Welsh Bridge Gauge was yesterday 3.71 metres and rising slowly, a peak of 3.7 to 3.9 metres due to have occurred last night. A fourth flood warning was in place at Hampton Loade and Highley.

Alerts, where there is a possibility of flooding, were in place for the Severn throughout Shropshire, the Severn-Vyrnwy confluence, the lower Teme downstream of Ludlow and the River Worfe near Albrighton.

In mid Wales a woman was trapped in a crash and had to be cut free by firefighters after her car left a minor road at Meifod, near Welshpool, at 7.45am yesterday. She was taken to hospital in Shrewsbury by ambulance and police said her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Sian George, Dyfed Powys Police spokeswoman, said a number of other minor collisions happened in the Welshpool and Newtown areas due to black ice.

Problems began over the weekend when the recent heavy snow thawed and added to the problems caused by persistent, torrential rain. While residents of Diksmuide Drive, Ellesmere, woke on Sunday morning to find the road in flood and the waters washing their cars away.