Shrewsbury flood barriers going up as alerts issued for Shropshire and Mid Wales
Flood alerts have been issued for the entire River Severn through Shropshire as heavy rain continues to fall across the county and in Wales.
An yellow warning was today issued for parts of mid Wales.
Flood barriers are going up at Frankwell in Shrewsbury although water levels were not expected to be anywhere near those that caused major flooding in the town at the beginning of the year.
No higher risk flood warnings have been made for the county although the government's flood information service says that with more rain forecast today levels will rise further.
Farmland and low-lying roads are expected to be under water as the levels rise on not only the Severn but other rivers in the region.
Shropshire Council said: "With recent heavy rainfall, the River Severn is on the rise. As a precaution:
Frankwell Riverside Car Park – closed due to occupation by our partner the Environment Agency
Frankwell Main Car Park – partially closed with area not to pass and park set out with cones. 'Floods expected' sign out, loss of about 160 spaces
"If the above is full please use Raven Meadows MSCP. Don't park beyond the coned area as this is a 'zone at risk' for today, and the car park may need to close. This will be reviewed at 10pm and again at 6:30am on Saturday morning."
There are flood alerts on the Upper Teme in South Shropshire which could affect Bishops Castle and Ludlow, where the river was already running high yesterday, and on the Ledyche Brook and River Rea which could affect the Cleobury Mortimer, Neen Sollars and Cayham areas.
Natural Resources Wales has issued a yellow warning for rain for mid Wales and flood alerts are in place for the Upper Severn in the Newtown and Welshpool areas and the Vyrnwy catchment area
Defences
The lower Dee Valley from Llangollen and through Bangor-on-Dee is also expected to see low-lying roads and farmland under water.
Sean Moore, Duty Tactical Manager for NRW said: “The predicted heavy rain is likely to cause disruption to parts of South and Mid Wales over the next 48 hours, so we’re advising people to keep up to date with flood alerts and warnings issued in their areas.
“Our emergency response workers will be at key sites checking defences are in good working order and working with partners to minimise any potential risks to communities.
“Please remember that flood water is extremely dangerous, and people should not attempt to walk or drive through it unless instructed by the emergency services.”
Large parts of Wales are braced for heavy rain today, which could lead to flooding.
An amber weather warning for rain has been issued by the Met Office for much of the south of the country, which it says will "likely" lead to homes and businesses being flooded and communities cut off by flooded roads.
The warnings cover Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Torfaen until midnight.
A yellow weather warning for rain is also in place for most of Mid, West, and South Wales and the south-west of England, which could also lead to flooding and is expected to last until 3am on Saturday.
Risk
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) had 29 flood alerts in place on Friday morning, where "flooding is possible", while two flood warnings, where "flooding is expected", were issued for the River Towy at Carmarthen Quay and the River Ritec in Tenby.
The agency said checks on flood defences are under way, as well as ensuring drainage grids and screens are clear to reduce the risk to people and their homes.
Sean Moore, duty tactical manager for NRW, said: "The band of heavy rain spreading across parts of Wales on Friday and into Saturday is expected to bring flooding impacts and disruption to many areas of South and Mid Wales.
"We have teams out checking defences and monitoring river levels alongside Met Office advice to forecast flood risk, and we will update our flood alerts and warnings as appropriate.
"We are urging people to keep a close eye on weather reports and on the NRW website for details on any potential impacts in their areas. We're also advising to take extra care when travelling as conditions could be hazardous."
