Shropshire facing a wet Christmas
[gallery] Soaking Shropshire was braced for a wet Christmas today with experts warning river levels would not peak in the county until tomorrow and more rain expected to fall over the next 24 hours.
Flood warnings are still in place on the River Severn and River Teme. The Severn is not expected to peak in Ironbridge until tomorrow afternoon.
The Met Office warned that heavy rain was expected across the county for much of today, with showers expected to continue into Christmas Day.
Flood barriers went up in Ironbridge today as flood warnings remained in place on the River Seven for the West Mids Showground and Quarry in Shrewsbury as well as Hampton Loade and Highley; Quatford and Ironbridge and Jackfield. There is a further warning on the River Teme at Stanford Bridge.
But Shropshire has escaped the worst of the flooding across Britain which has seen homes flooded and people rescued from cars trapped in floodwater.
There are still 145 flood warnings in place across Britain and a further 268 flood alerts. The Environment Agency still has one severe flood warning – meaning there is "danger to life" – in place for the River Cober at Helston in west Cornwall, a town that has already seen residents evacuated from their homes.
In Umberleigh, near Barnstaple in Devon, a woman was rescued by a lifeboat after she was swept away from her car in the early hours of today after flooding in the area.
A Devon and Cornwall Police helicopter found the woman clinging to branches of a tree on the banks of the swollen River Taw.
By James Fisher
