Trees down and Shropshire on flood alert after heavy rain
[gallery] Trees were brought down by gale force winds and Shropshire today remained on flood alert after heavy rain overnight raised fears that water levels could rise further.
The A528 was closed at Preston Gubbals, near Shrewsbury, after a tree fell across the road while a tree was also lying across the A41 at Sandford, near Prees.
One Madeley resident, Paul Holland, had a nasty surprise this morning after winds of up to 80mph brought down a brick wall at Madeley Cricket Club.
Residents were out in force early this morning helping to clear up the damage when bricks from the wall fell on his car in the car park.
Mr Holland, 41, said: "You could hear the wind getting louder but we didn't hear the wall come down. In the dark we did not see the full extent of the damage. I've been down this morning and had a bit of a tidy-up and made it safe."
Dave Thomas, from Madeley, was walking his dog when he spotted the fallen wall. He said: "The car was parked by the wall, which must have blown down overnight. There were bricks on the roof and the back window had been smashed. There were also dents on the roof and bonnet."
National Trust property Attingham Park at Atcham and golf course The Astbury, near Bridgnorth, were both closed today because of the weather.
The river Severn remained high in Ironbridge, with an amber flood warning for the waterway across the county.
A flood warning remained in place on the River Severn at the Showground and Quarry, which affects Gravel Hill Lane and Sydney Avenue, and flood defences remain in place at Frankwell.
Flood alerts were still in force on the river throughout the county, the Severn Vrynwy confluence, the Tern and Perry catchments and the River Lugg near Leominster.
The A4113 at Leintwardine, near Ludlow, was today closed due to flooding as flood alerts on the Upper and Lower Teme in the area remained in place.
West Mercia Police spokesman Richard Ewels said: "We had more than a dozen calls regarding trees and branches which had fallen on to roads and were causing problems for road users. The majority were on minor roads. He urged drivers to take extra care due to debris on the roads.
"There can be hazards from falling branches and trees and great care is needed when driving in these conditions," he added.
Elsewhere in the county, a tree fell across the A41 at Sandford, near Prees.
In Shrewsbury's Quarry, a tree was left balancing precariously in the River Severn after the rain caused water levels to rise dramatically. Flood barriers were in place in the town.
Pumps today remained in place taking water out of the River Severn at Shrewsbury and Ironbridge to protect homes and businesses from flooding.
Engineers installed the machines on Christmas Eve, with Severn Trent bosses claiming the move would save up to 200 homes and the historic Abbey in Shrewsbury from the risk of flooding.
Spokeswoman Sarah-Jayne O'Kane said the pumps were no longer being manned by engineers, but would remain in operation until tonight at least. Flood defences also remained in place in Shrewsbury today.
She said: "The pumps are still pumping to keep the water levels down. We are checking them every three to four hours and are constantly monitoring the situation."
Blustery showers were expected for much of today along with gale force winds, with rain continuing into the weekend.
James Jesic, waste water manager for Severn Trent, said: "Unfortunately, in stormy weather, the drains and sewers often have significantly more water flowing through them. When we get a lot of rain in one go, it has a hard time sinking into the ground – so it just runs off the surface and goes directly into drains and sewers.
"Operating these pumps allows us to reduce the amount of water in the drainage system, therefore avoiding flooding to the local community."
Nationally, the Met Office today issued yellow and amber weather warnings, indicating "severe or hazardous weather".
The storm was spreading east across the whole of the UK throughout today, with the worst-affected areas expected to be northern England and northern parts of Wales, the Met Office said.
It recorded a gust of wind in Aberdaron, in west Wales, of 109mph early this morning – with general wind speeds of between 60mph and 80mph expected in the UK.
Environment Agency Live Flood Warning map - updated every 15 minutes
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