Storm Katie: Shropshire roads left flooded after Easter break battering

Newport Road is in Albrighton is one of the blocked routes today after the storm brought in heavy rain, strong winds and even snow.

The M6 north between junction 13 and 14 in the Midlands was closed when a giant puddle stretched across the carriageway.

Gully cleaners were dispatched to a stretch of road close to Stafford yesterday morning. Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom in Telford was forced to move its tea room into the shop when flood water rose to as far as the bottom shelves.

Will Dorrell, a partner at the farm, said: "We have had very bad flooding in our tea room and it has come in as flash flooding, I think we had about eight hours worth of rain. It has come up about six or seven inches and flooded the bottom shelves which is not what we needed on a Bank Holiday Monday."

Telford's Silkin Way path was flooded and some roads in Powys became completely impassable because of colder temperatures and heavy snow with major problems on the A489 Pool Road, Newtown.

Drivers were unable to get through yesterday morning between Kerry and Newtown and police said conditions were "treacherous".

Gusts of up to 50mph hit Shropshire and Mid Wales overnight while one car was left on its roof during the early hours of yesterday following a crash on the M42 between junctions two and one.

Environment Agency's Dave Throup said: "We had about an inch of rain across Shropshire which has topped up the smaller rivers quite quickly.

"It is the contributors to the River Severn so we are expecting the river levels to go down following the peak in the afternoon."

Residents in Shifnal reported that the Wesley Brook was higher than usual, with a gauge on the waterway registering the level at 0.45m and rising into flooding level.

In Ironbridge, traffic built up near the power station as flooding caused havoc for drivers in both directions on Buildwas Road. Nearby, there was flooding along Lilyhurst Road at the junction for Lilleshall Hall Golf Club and drivers were told to take extra care when approaching.

A flood alert was issued in Powys for the Upper Severn with levels at Abermule two metres high. An alert was also in place for the Tern and Perry areas, near Wem and the River Worfe where the Shifnal Gauge rose about 0.77 metres.