Havoc! As floods hit new areas, 108mph winds cause power cuts, shut motorways and force passengers off trains. Now prepare for a month's rain in two days



Up to 1.5in rain is forecast for South, with 2.75in by Friday in the West, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Some 600 troops have been deployed to assist with flood protection and relief, with around 1,000 on standby

Around 1,700 homes in Datchet, Berkshire, hit by power cuts after area is hit by severe flooding from Thames

Train operator Virgin implored all customers to 'abandon travel' because of problems caused by the storm

All trains out of London Euston were at one point cancelled and services crippled all over the country



Rail services were also severely disrupted in Cheshire after overhead cables caught fire at Crewe Railway Station



Environment Agency staff withdrawn from flood-hit Wraysbury in Berkshire because of hostility from public

Cobra committee convened yesterday as PM pledges 'money is no object' in providing flood relief



Cameron warns 'things may get worse before they get better', with gusts of 108mph recorded in West Wales

170,000 people back Mail's petition - which you can sign here - for PM to use foreign aid cash to tackle floods


Britain was yesterday battered by a ‘Wild Wednesday’ of severe storms and rising water levels, with no prospect of an end to the misery in sight.

Motorways were flooded, major road bridges closed and rail lines offered limited - if any - services, stranding travellers and bringing the country to a halt.

The storm has claimed at least one life, a man in his 70s, who was electrocuted while attempting to move a tree which brought down power cables.

Wiltshire Police said last night that t he man had died at around 3.20pm near Chippenham.

A force spokesman said: 'Just after 3.10pm we were called to reports of a tree having brought down power cables in Bremhill in Calne.



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Horrendous conditions: Traffic makes its way along Blackpool Promenade in Lancashire during high winds

Spray: A man getting as closer look at the turbulent Blackpool seafront - but getting stuck in the process

Road closed: Waves break over the sea wall at high tide in Aberystwyth, West Wales, as a storm strikes the west of Britain with winds gusting at up to 100 miles per hour in some places Strong winds across the United Kingdom leads to travel disruption to evening commuters at Manchester Piccadilly

Coming to their aid: The Royal Engineers rescue residents in flood-hit Egham, Surrey Method of transport: Soldier from the Royal Engineers help two young evacuee residents through a flooded road in Egham, Surrey

Making a splash: Huge waves batter the seafront at Southsea, Hampshire

Crash: A double-decker bus was teetering on the edge of a roadside bank after leaving the road between Falmouth and Truro in Cornwall after trying to avoid a fallen tree Gales: A woman battles the wind and rain as she walks past the flooded Severn in Worcester (left) while another woman struggles in the wind in Swansea, South Wales Dragging: Two men struggle in the high winds at Blackpool Promenade yesterday

Smashed in: A fallen tree has trapped a man in his lorry cab on the A39 near Bridgwater in Somerset. The man is not seriously injured Many travellers who were already on board trains described being stuck for several hours. BOSSES DISMISS HEATHROW RISK

Fears that Heathrow could become more vulnerable to flooding if it builds a third runway were dismissed last night by airport bosses.

They said they are paying close attention to the problem, but said it will be safe because the airport sits higher than surrounding waterlogged land.

And they pointed out both options for a third runway at Heathrow – including the one they themselves are backing – are to the north of the existing runways, while the river and main flood-prone areas lie to the south.

The Department for Transport said the issue of flooding had not been covered in Airport Commissioner Sir Howard Davies’s interim report published in December.

A Heathrow spokesman said: ‘There are no floods at the airport and operations are running normally.’ Rachel Sigsworth wrote on Twitter: 'Stuck on a wobbling train in the middle of a storm! Freezing! starving! Wet foot! Send help!' Tony Hawks posted a message to say 'I am stuck on a train in the West Country. I have been on it for five hours'. And Erin Mary Elizabeth wrote: 'Seriously was stuck between Basingstoke and Fleet for ages on the train in the dark. Not fun.' Even the football has been affected, with two premier League gamer called off after damage to stadia caused fears over safety.

The Thames was predicted to rise to its highest level in more than 60 years in some places, and coastal areas could also be battered by large waves. And one of the two main links between London and Scotland was being shut down tonight ahead of 100mph gale force winds. Earlier, Virgin Trains urged passengers to postpone planned journeys urging on it website, noting: 'Do not travel. Disruption to Anglo-Scottish services.’ The electrified line from London Euston to Glasgow is particularly prone to damage due to its hi-voltage cabling above the track. A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were called to Crewe train station after roof panels fell on to overhead lines and caused a small fire. A Network Rail spokeswoman confirmed the station had been evacuated as a 'precaution' and trains were not stopping there. London Midland tweeted: 'Crewe all services through this station have been stopped due to roof being blown off, debris. I will update as soon as I have more info.' Virgin Trains added: 'Owing to overhead wire problems between Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street all lines are blocked, delays of up to 30 minutes are expected.' Problems were reported at Lichfield near Stafford, Stoke, Crewe, Macclesfield and Stone, she said. Interactive global wind map

Uprooted: Trees torn down in savage winds near Fishguard, West Wales DOCTOR SETS UP SURGERY IN A PUB AFTER FLOODWATERS STOP HIM REACHING HIS SURGERY

A GP was forced to see his patients in a pub after floodwaters cut off his surgery. Dr John Pittard set up a makeshift office at the Swan on the banks of the River Thames in Staines, Surrey. He said: ‘It’s all a little bit surreal. I think both myself and the patients will look back in a little while and think “did we really do that?”.’ Dr Pittard treated six patients in person from an upstairs guest room in the pub and six on the phone.

He plans to do the same today.

‘All of them were must-see patients – people who couldn’t wait for another day to visit their GP,’ he explained. Staff at Staines Thameside Medical centre had contacted patients who were too frail to get through the water to direct them to the pub.

A sign at Euston Train Station advising commuters that all Virgin Train Services have been cancelled as a result of severe weather ABANDON TRAVEL: A stark warning from Virgin Trains to its customers following severe disruptions to the network Coming in: This is the dramatic moment a FlyBe flight landed at Manchester Airport in gale force winds and the wing appeared to clip the ground Blown over: An overturned lorry on the M62 motorway at Scammonden Water in West Yorkshire between Junction 22 and Junction 23 westbound Network Rail said: ‘Due to the extreme weather conditions there is severe disruption on the West Coast Main Line.' Trains were running from Euston station to Birmingham and Wolverhampton but with delays, cancellations and alterations.

Due to fallen trees, damaged signalling and equipment there were no services north of Nuneaton to Manchester, Preston, Crewe, Liverpool or Glasgow for a period last night.

In addition the line between Preston and Penrith closed between 7pm and 9pm due to predicted wind speeds of more than 90mph. Ahead of the shutdown, widespread 50mph speed restrictions were in place. 'Our engineers are working round the clock to keep the railway running. As the weather sweeps across the country there is likely to be further impact on services,’ it added.

There were also cancellations on services between Cardiff and Swansea, Worcester and Cheltenham Spa, Oxford and Didcot Parkway, Truro and Falmouth Docks, Hereford and Worcester, Reading and Basingstoke, Salisbury and Westbury, and Oxford and Banbury.

Severe weather warnings: These Met Office graphics show how high winds are forecast for yesterday and today



In profile: This graphic shows the areas along the River Thames, west of London, that have been affected by the horrendous flooding

River Thames woes: Sixteen Environment Agency severe flood warnings - danger to life - remained in place in Berkshire, Surrey and Somerset this morning

Highlighted: A Google Maps overlay of the flooded areas of Somerset as of yesterday. The area is expecting a month's worth of rain in the next few days From above: This composite satellite image of data from the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites shows three storms approaching the UK as it continues to receive heavy rain Swirling: A satellite image shows the scale of the storm on the way to Britain (left), while a Met Desk graphic shows the UK gust speeds at 2pm yesterday (right) Injury: A man is hit by a road sign which fell over on Westgate Street in Cardiff, as the bad weather continues Taking cover: Commuters battle through the wind and rain in Central London yesterday afternoon

Trying to hold on: One woman's umbrella looked like it was being battered by the wind and rain in Central London Accident: A truck is seen after being blown off the road on the A628, Woodhead Pass, near Preston between Manchester and Sheffield Recovery effort required: A car crashes onto bollards in the treacherous weather conditions on the City Road in Tividale, West Midlands Spray: Hurricane force winds reach the coastline at Tenby, Pembrokeshire in Wales The Met Office issued a red weather warning - the most severe level of threat - for ‘exceptionally strong winds’ of up to 100mph. The rare alert, which was last issued 13 months ago, was in place for western parts of Wales and some north-western parts of England. The last red alert overall was issued in January 2013 for snow in the Welsh valleys, but the last red wind alert was in January 2012 for western Scotland. Just 10 red alerts for all types of weather have been issued since the Met Office warnings system was revamped three years ago in April 2011. It comes as these flood and weather warning maps show the true extent of severe weather that has already struck Britain - and what is still to come. Photographs also showed the terrifying moment a passenger plane came in to land in strong winds as one of the wings nearly touched the runway. The Flybe twin-engine craft was coming in to land at Manchester Airport and was battered by winds of around 45mph.

The pilot was able to land the plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 model understood to have been coming from Waterford in Ireland, safely without any injuries. A man was taken to hospital after becoming trapped under a fallen tree in Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon.

Two fire crews discovered the man trapped under a large branch of the tree at around 2.15pm yesterday.

Firefighters used small tools and lifting equipment to release him. A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire said: 'Crews also used airbags to lift the branch and the male was conveyed to hospital via ambulance.' Onlookers watch a huge backwash wave off the seafront at Porthcawl after relentless high winds battered the South Wales coastline Epic: Waves break over Porthcawl harbour in South Wales, as the region continues to be battered with high winds and heavy rain Nature's fury: Storm waves crash over cliffs at Sennen Cove near Land's End The harbour wall at Sennen Cove near Lands End is completely deluged by ferocious seas Crashing waves: Surging torrents batter the coast of Port Quin, Cornwall Ripped away: Traffic makes its way past a damaged building at Blackpool Promenade Firefighters had to rescue a two-year-old girl from a crumpled car after a tree was blown down on top of it. Amazingly, the toddler escaped unharmed after the tree came crashing down in high winds. The child was rescued by a Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service crew after the tree crushed her family's car in Freemantle Common Road, Southampton, Hampshire. Firefighters also visited flood-hit areas of Winchester, Basingstoke and Romsey, using pumps along the River Itchen and handing out sandbags. Agency staff were withdrawn from flood-hit area in Berkshire because of hostility from members of the public. It is understood that staff were abused in the Wraysbury area of Berkshire, and have now been told to report any incidents to the agency. The GMB union said the hostility was a ‘direct result of the irresponsible attack’ by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and others on the EA.

ROAD AND BRIDGE CLOSURES CRIPPLED TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT UK The M6 was closed in Cheshire, between junction 19 at Knutsford and 21A Croft interchange due to gale force winds with cross winds along Thelwall Viaduct, the Highways Agency said. A 15ft deep hole which was discovered on the central reservation of the M2 in north Kent led to the section of the motorway being shut for a second day between junction five near Sittingbourne and junction six south of Faversham. The agency added that the hole had been filled with 40 tones of pea shingle 'to stabilise the hole to enable further assessment'.

Sections of many roads were closed due to flooding, with the depth of water causing a lane of the M25 in Surrey to close. Fallen trees added to the problems for motorists. Among areas and routes affected by flooded roads and obstructions on the road were Purley in south London, a number of routes in Worcester city, the A29 in West Sussex, the A35 at Christchurch in Dorset, the A30 in Somerset, the A41 in Shropshire, and the A49 Wigan Road at Ashton-in-Makerfield in Greater Manchester. In Scotland, a section of the A93 in Aberdeenshire was closed because of snow. With the arrival of high winds today, the M48 Severn Bridge was closed in both directions between junction one at the A403 (Aust) and junction two at the A466 (Chepstow). The winds also caused the closure of the A249 Sheppey Crossing in Kent. The QE2 Bridge at the Dartford Crossing was also closed due to wind speeds of more than 60mph. The Highways Agency said the bridge had been shut for safety reasons and warned drivers to expect delays. No use anymore: A broken umbrella is placed in a bin as people struggled with the high winds in the centre of Swansea, South Wales Hold onto your hats: People battle against the wind in Southwark, central London (left), while the wind looked just as bad in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex (right)

Unpleasant: Fierce winds hit Southwark in Central London today as people battled to hold onto their umbrellas, which were turning inside out Up above: This photograph from a drone at 350ft shows how floods have hit the town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire Well kitted out: Freddy, a boat owner, carries Foxy the dog through floodwater to dry land for a walk in Old Windsor, Berkshire Getting involved: Armed forces personnel pack and move sand bags at Wraysbury Primary School in Wraysbury, Berkshire Catch: Around 100 Royal Navy personnel from Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset, have been deployed to assist the mulit-agency flood relief effort

Swimming along: A swan on a flooded field next to the River Thames in Windsor, Berkshire

Under water: A rescue co-ordinator said morale and energy had been low in Wraysbury because the Berkshire village had been looking after itself for so long

The Government's Cobra emergency committee convened yesterday after David Cameron pledged ‘money is no object’ in providing flooding relief.

More than 170,000 people have now backed the Mail’s petition - which you can sign here - for Mr Cameron to use foreign aid cash to tackle flood crisis.

And the Prime Minister has warned that ‘things may get worse before they get better’, with hundreds of flood warnings and alerts still in force.

The weather also hit sport fixtures. Manchester City's game against Sunderland was called off because conditions are deemed unsafe, with a red warning for wind in place for the North West.

Man City captain Vincent Kompany tweeted: 'Game's called off! Make sure you get yourselves home and be safe, weather is terrible!'

Soon after Everton announced that their game against Crystal palace was postponed over safety fears following building damage.



Police officers hold on to their hats as they walk by a programme booth blown over in high winds before Manchester City's English Premier League soccer match against Sunderland, which has now been called off

Police and stewards at Goodison park, where Everton's clash with Crystal Palace has been postponed because of building damage

No game tonight: Everton stewards speak to fans after the match is postponed because of the weather

Game over: Police and stewards move people on outside the ground

Now sign our petition calling on Government to divert foreign aid to flood-hit British families. Please revert to our desktop version of the website if viewing on an iPhone

Dear Prime Minister,

I strongly urge you to divert some of the £11billion

a year spent on overseas aid to ease the suffering of

British flood victims, and to build and maintain flood

defences to prevent a repetition of this crisis.





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Alternatively you can click HERE to print a copy and send it to the Daily Mail by post

The Met Office has already revealed that England and Wales has seen ‘one of, if not the most, exceptional periods for winter rainfall’ in 248 years.



M2 STILL CLOSED AFTER 15FT HOLE APPEARS IN CENTRAL RESERVATION

A 10-mile section of a busy motorway remains closed after the discovery yesterday of a 15ft-deep hole in the central reservation.

The section is on the M2 in north Kent, between junction 5 near Sittingbourne and junction 6 south of Faversham.

The hole - about 16ft long and 6ft wide - led to the section being closed from early yesterday afternoon, leading to big tailbacks on routes leading to and from the Kent coast.

The Highways Agency said work was continuing to find out what caused the hole to open and that the section remained closed.

The agency went on: ‘Drivers heading to and from Dover are advised to use the M20. The Highways Agency and its contractors are working hard with partners, including the emergency services and Kent County Council, to minimise disruption as much as possible.

‘This has included ensuring any planned roadworks are not carried out on nearby local and strategic roads. Lanes on the M2 will only be reopened to traffic as soon it is safe.'

The agency said engineers were joined on site by emergency services including Kent Fire & Rescue Service. Cameras were being used to investigate the extent and nature of the hole.

In the South West, three people were injured today after a high-sided heavy goods vehicle blew onto a car in Bideford, Devon. Police said severe gales caused the Volkswagen LT135 to blow over onto the top of the green Ford Fiesta at around 10.35am.

Some 600 troops have now been deployed to assist with flood protection and relief, with around 1,000 on standby.

Mr Cameron said ‘thousands more’ were available for filling and moving sandbags, getting medical assistance to the sick and helping vulnerable people.

Residents in Staines, Surrey, were evacuated from their flood-hit homes during the night, while around 1,000 homes in the Thameside village of Datchet were left without electricity during the night after power cuts which initially affected 1,700 properties.

And a primary school in Wraysbury, Berkshire, was reportedly turned into a ‘24/7 control centre’ for residents affected by flooding, the BBC said.

It reported that army personnel had been on the streets during the night to help police, and that the army and police had set up checkpoints to monitor who comes and goes in the area following fears of looting at the homes of flood victims.

Lucy Foster, who has been helping to co-ordinate the operation, told the BBC morale and energy had been low in Wraysbury because the village had been looking after itself for so long.

She said: ‘Finally we've got the boys and girls that we need - we've got the Army, the police force, the fire service and getting a lot of support from them and a lot of direction from them, which is what was needed.’

Around 1,000 homes in the Thameside village of Datchet were left without power during the night after power cuts which initially affected 1,700 properties and left engineers scrambling to fix the fault.

The Environment Agency (EA) has said rises in the level of the River Thames are among the biggest threat over coming days.

Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, as well as parts of Surrey, are now considered at risk, on top of the 1,000 properties reported as flooded over the past week.

Since the beginning of December, a total of 5,800 premises have flooded - although the agency also stressed that 1.3 million have been protected by defences.

EA senior flood adviser Kate Marks warned it was ‘increasingly likely’ that there would also be problems along the River Severn and River Wye.

Sixteen severe flood warnings - danger to life - remained in place in Berkshire, Surrey and Somerset this morning, with a further 122 flood warnings and 229 flood alerts.

About 100 properties remain flooded on the Somerset Levels, where extra pumps are being brought in from the Netherlands.

Groundwater flooding is also expected in the coming days in Hampshire, Kent and parts of London.

The Thames barrier closed again yesterday to protect communities to the West of the capital.

Announcing new support for householders, businesses and farms, Mr Cameron told a Downing Street press conference that every effort would be made to help affected areas get back on their feet.

‘Money is no object in this relief effort. Whatever money is needed for it will be spent,’ he said.

The Prime Minister chaired Cobra in Whitehall last night and has cancelled a planned trip to the Middle East to take personal charge of the response to the flooding crisis.



Tomorrow he will chair the first meeting of a new Cabinet committee set up to oversee the recovery effort.

He said a tax deferral scheme will help businesses hit by flooding, while up to £10 million in new funding is being found to support farmers.

Grants of several thousand pounds for homeowners and businesses will be available to improve flood defences as they repair their properties.

In-depth investigation: Police divers patrol the severely-flooded village of Wraysbury, Berkshire A resident carries a dog through flood waters in the village of Wraysbury. Thousands of homes along the Thames are threatened with rising flood waters as Britain's flooding situation continues to worsen Military aid: A soldier talks to a woman in a flood-affected house in Wraysbury, west of London A woman looks from the door of her flooded home as soldiers place sandbags on her driveway in Wraysbury Moat: A flooded house is seen in the village of Wraysbury. Troops have been assisting people in the village

Forecast: The Met Office forecasts up to 1.5in across many southern and western areas, with as much as 2.75in by Friday in the already-sodden West Country

Watch out: A further 122 flood warnings and 229 flood alerts were in place across England and Wales, in addition to the 17 severe warnings Beaufort scale: This Press Association graphic shows how wind speeds of more than 73mph are 'hurricane force', bringing violence and destruction Levels: This EA graph from last month helps show how one fifth of all the Thames Barrier closures since it was built in 1982 have taken place in just the last two months Response: Prime Minister David Cameron speaks as he chairs the Government's Cobra emergency meeting at 10 Downing Street in Central London Taking action: Mr Cameron has cancelled a planned trip to the Middle East to take personal charge of the response to the flooding crisis

Difficult time: A local resident pushes belongings on a cart through the flooded part of the town of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey Clever idea: Celia, a local resident, pushes her dog in a wheelbarrow, in the flooded part of the town of Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey Splash: Waves crash over the promenade in Dover, Kent, as more bad weather and storms sweep across the country The PM rejected calls to divert funds from the overseas aid budget to the flood relief effort, insisting that, as a ‘wealthy country with a growing economy’ Britain does not have to choose between the two. MORE WOE FOR RAIL PASSENGERS

Travellers faced more misery on the rail network today as strong winds added to the complications caused by flooding.

Fewer than half the normal number of services were running on a major commuter route through Maidenhead (above), Berkshire, and speed restrictions were expected across parts of the West in response to gale-force winds.

Network Rail's managing director of network operations Robin Gisby told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: ‘I'm afraid it's going to be another difficult day for passengers.’

‘We have got restrictions at Maidenhead - that's groundwater coming up into the railway as much as flooding coming sideways. We're only running five trains an hour - normally It would be 12 through there - and there are delays of five, 10, 15 minutes a train. Similarly we have got a restricted service between Oxford and down to Didcot.

'We don't expect that to get any worse today - obviously we will keep passengers updated through the websites and so on. With the rain that's coming tonight and the effect that has on the Thames, we will keep watching that over the next couple of days.

‘The wind today will involve us putting in speed restrictions down in the Cornwall, Devon area, in bits of Wales and certainly in the North West, the Preston area, as well, as that wind comes through.’ Appointing Major General Patrick Sanders to co-ordinate the military response, he said local authorities should not think twice before calling on the resources of the armed forces. Labour leader Ed Miliband called on ministers to ensure insurance is paid promptly and protect access to insurance in future for people in flood-hit areas. Speaking after a visit to flooded areas of Berkshire, Mr Miliband said: ‘The Government should be getting round the table with the insurance industry immediately to ensure every firm is signed up to clear principles of prompt assessment and payment.

'Now is not the time for foot-dragging of the kind we saw after the riots.’ Insurers and business organisations met in Downing Street to speed up the response to claims from flood-hit companies. And Mr Cameron said that householders who experience difficulties with insurance should tell their local MPs, so the authorities can ‘go after those insurance companies and make sure they pay up’. Local authorities will be able to request top-ups from central government for hardship funds for those with no insurance. Mr Cameron acknowledged that it would take a ‘depressingly long period of time’ for the country to get back to normal. Repairs to the seafront rail link at Dawlish in Devon are expected to take six weeks, while pumping the water from the Somerset levels would take ‘a lot of time’ even if there was no more rain. Even after water levels drop, householders face a ‘really painful and depressing process’ of restoring their homes and replacing furniture. Mr Cameron praised the work of the Environment Agency's staff for the ‘brilliant job’ they have done on the ground, but again offered only limited support for its under-fire chairman Lord Smith. ‘Of course there will be a time to discuss how the pendulum against dredging swung too far in the past and how we put that right in the future,’ said the Prime Minister. ‘But right now everybody needs every minister, every head of an agency, everyone involved, to work together to deliver the best possible response we can to these floods and that is exactly what is happening...

'Now is not the time for resignations.’ Mr Cameron defended the Government's record of investing in flood defences, but admitted: ‘The truth is that when you have these extraordinary weather events, the wettest winter for 250 years, it is very difficult to have all the protections in place that you need.’ Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable John Campbell, the area's gold commander in charge of the operation, defended the authorities' response to the flooding in Wraysbury and said there was only a ‘limited’ amount that could have been done to protect the village. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: ‘In the first 48 hours or so a lot of effort with military and blue light services and the Environment Agency was put into preventing further flooding, and that involved a range of activities along the Thames, building flood defences, protecting infrastructure sub-stations and assisting Network Rail with issues in terms of the Maidenhead line. ‘In terms of Wraysbury, one of the unfortunate things about Wraysbury as a location is there are limited flood defences that can take effect around that location - unfortunately it has flooded before. ‘In terms of the emerging picture we saw yesterday a number of residents wanted to see more activity in the Wraysbury area and with the second wave of military support that we got ... we deployed those to Wraysbury. ‘Certainly we have now got at least 100 soldiers and military personnel.’ The residents of Wraysbury were ‘happier’, he said: ‘Clearly they were frustrated that they didn't think enough was being done in the first instance. ‘Obviously we have to prioritise and focus on trying to defend certain aspects of the Thames and the flood breaches and that was what we were trying to do in the first instance.’ He said the situation on the river was ‘going to get no worse’ and levels were ‘slightly’ reducing in some areas, although more rainfall was forecast. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin denied that the Government was ‘powerless’ in the face of the forces of nature. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: ‘It isn't powerless in that it's got the machinery of government to try to help and alleviate the problems that individuals face. ‘And it is also not powerless in making sure that when we do the repairs we do them at a resilience that will last for future storms that come along. ‘Engineering techniques have changed a huge amount and when we rebuild walls we will build them to a different standard of engineering to what they were originally built to.’ Mr McLoughlin said the Government would have to prepare for further extreme weather events. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: ‘It was not many years ago that we were all talking about droughts and the problem "would our underground water ever fill up again?".

‘ That was three years ago and now we are talking about water just coming up out of the ground into people's homes. So we have got to accept there is more extreme weather and how do we become resilient for it?’

He added: ‘I don't think we can just take this as a one-off event.’

Snowy scene: Red deer forage for food through the snow in Glen Coe, Scotland. Heavy snowfall hit much of Scotland Weather conditions at Glen Coe are blustery and snowing hard, and visibility is very poor at the mountaintop Elsewhere: As the South of England is suffering from wide-spread flooding the North is battling with up to 4in of snow. Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, is pictured Let it snow: A person takes a photograph (left) and a car drives through (right) Middleton-in-Teesdale, a small market town in County Durham

Picture postcard: A beautiful scene in Middleton-in-Teesdale, as up to 4in snow fell across parts of the North

On a journey: A walker on the hill tops of Derbyshire which had more than 6in of snow today

Safely grazing: Sheep making the most of the exposed grass in Derbyshire which received over 6in of snow on the tops

Awful forecast: Storm clouds over the Derbyshire valleys near Buxton, as gales are expected to hit the north of England Journeying out: A recovery 4x4 on the A537 Cat and Fiddle in Derbyshire, which was closed because of snow Mr McLoughlin denied that the Prime Minister's claim that unlimited public funds would be used to deal with the fallout from the floods amounted to a ‘blank cheque’. FIFTH OF BARRIER CLOSURES SINCE 1982 HAPPEN IN LAST TWO MONTHS

One fifth of all the Thames Barrier closures since it was built in 1982 have taken place in just the last two months, it was revealed today.

The barrier - which closed again yesterday to protect communities to the West of London - is the main defence against flooding for the capital and covers a 1,700ft section of the River Thames near Woolwich.

A map (above) released by the Environment Agency two months ago showed how London could look if sea levels continued to rise and the Barrier was not there to protect it.

Parts of Beckton, West Ham, Whitechapel and Southwark were shown completely submerged with only a handful of spots across the floodplain escaping the flooding.

The Barrier, which was built in 1982, has been shut 28 times since December 6. The total number of closures since it was inaugurated is around 150, reported BBC News. ‘I don't think it's a blank cheque. I think what the Prime Minister was making very clear is that we are going to use every resource of the Government and money is not the issue while we are in this relief job, in the first instance, of trying to bring relief to those communities that are affected,’ he told ITV Daybreak.

‘Then we have got to do the repairs of the structures and the railway infrastructure that's been damaged and then the other long-term issues, which will need some careful consideration.’

Asked if the money should have been spent preparing for floods, he said: ‘Lots of money is being spent across the line but nobody was predicting exactly that this kind of incident was happening.

'Nobody was saying that we were going to get the problems we have got at Dawlish, where 4,000 tonnes of the embankment has been washed into the sea.’

The Prime Minister chaired a meeting of Cobra in Downing Street this morning where he was told that flooding could reach 1947 levels in some areas but thousands of military personnel are available at short notice if extra support is needed.

EA chief executive Paul Leinster told the emergency committee: ‘Oxford to Maidenhead we think could rise over the next five days and may lead to more flooding in that area.

‘Below Maidenhead, the levels are holding at the current level but potentially over the weekend and going into the beginning of next week they could rise to higher than the current levels.

‘The current extent of flooding is similar to 2003 and in places we believe it could get to 1947 levels but, of course, there has been further work done since then, so we wouldn't expect to see the same levels of properties affected.’

Major General Patrick Sanders, who is coordinating the military response, told the meeting that around 2,000 military personnel are involved in the clean-up operation and support in Somerset was increased overnight.

‘What we would like to do is to thicken up some of the command and control structures at gold and silver level,’ he said.

He told the Prime Minister that ‘thousands’ of extra military personnel were available in a short period of time.

Mr Cameron said: ‘I think one of the things we have got to make sure today is that all the local authorities who need help are clear that they can get help.’ As well as receiving updates from the Environment Agency, Network Rail and Met Office at this morning's Cobra meeting, Mr Cameron spoke by phone with the police ‘gold commanders’ in charge of the response on the ground to flooding in the Thames Valley, Avon and Somerset and Surrey regions.

White landscape: A lone farm house on the Durham and Cumbria border after overnight snow

Further snow forecast for higher ground: Lorries get ready to set off on the A66 after it was closed for a time due to heavy snow and ice

Out and about: Horses being exercised on the hilltops near Leyburn, North Yorkshire on the hilltops of the Pennines as further snow is forecast for Britain

Sun in the sky: A blanket of snow over the town of Bowes in Durham this morning

Picturesque: Homes in County Durham are today covered under a thick blanket of snow following heavy overnight snowfall

Having fun: Grace and William head to school on their sledge near Bishop Auckland in County Durham today following heavy overnight snowfall

Shovelling: A village resident of Woodland clears snow from outside his home near Bishop Auckland in County Durham following overnight snowfall

Starting the day: A hill farmer on his land watches the sun rise near Barnard Castle in County Durham today following heavy overnight snowfall Chancellor George Osborne also attended the meeting, and underlined the Prime Minister's message that money was ‘no object’ in the relief effort, Mr Cameron's spokesman said. RSPCA RESCUES PETS IN FLOODS

Pets including two sheepdogs and their six puppies and a tortoise have been rescued from flood waters by the RSPCA.

Officers from the animal welfare charity have also rescued a number of horses and chickens and other animals and provided support to residents left stranded by the floods in the town of Wraysbury, Berkshire (above).

The RSPCA team said it had helped several people to safety from their houses and given advice to pet owners who were staying in their homes.

Among the pets rescued in the town were a hibernating tortoise, which was reunited with its owner in the rescue area, one rabbit in its hutch whose owners were away and two adult sheepdog-type dogs and their six puppies.

Officers have also helped owners move three horses from a flooded yard to a drier field, rescue 30 chickens from a flooded pen and move 30 to 40 koi carp to transport them to their owner's friend's pond, the charity said.

Rosie Russon, from the RSPCA water rescue team, said: ‘We took the decision to deploy to the town yesterday, after receiving reports that there were people in need. The team have been going door to door offering help and advice - from pet owners concerned about how to protect their animals, to elderly people who needed assistance evacuating their homes to a place of safety.' ‘It is thanks to the generosity of the public that the RSPCA exists and is able to carry out our vital work, so it is wonderful to be able to give support to people as well as animals during this difficult time,’ she added. Across the country, the RSPCA said it had taken more than 1,500 flood-related calls since the beginning of the year, and had rescued more than 200 animals. The charity had also provided advice, support and monitoring in relation to more than 5,500 animals. Asked where money would be found to fund extra flood relief spending, the spokesman said: ‘The Government has a number of contingency funds, some of which are in departments.’

More than 50 local authorities have already registered with the Department for Communities and Local Government for help through the Bellwin scheme for emergency financial assistance, which Mr Cameron announced last week will cover 100 per cent of eligible claims during the current crisis rather than the usual 85 per cent.

Asked whether Britain will apply to the European Union for financial assistance available to member states following natural disasters, the spokesman said: ‘The Government will look at all ways in which local communities can be helped.’

UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who has urged the Prime Minister to divert cash from the UK's £11billion foreign aid budget to help flood-hit communities, called on Mr Cameron to spell out in detail the extent of financial help that he is now offering.

Mr Farage warned that the cash available from Government contingency funds and departmental underspend would not be enough to deal with damage on the scale seen over the past few weeks and warned that the Prime Minister should not ‘offer false hope to people in the midst of a crisis’.

‘The blunt truth is that it is fantasy for David Cameron to imply that the Government has some magic extra store of money that can be used for this purpose,’ said Mr Farage.

'The Treasury's contingency fund is limited and is bound to face other calls on it too.

‘If Cameron is only talking about utilising a £60million transport underspend and one or two other bits and bobs from across Whitehall, then he still clearly does not appreciate the terrible scale of this crisis.

‘If, on the other hand, he were to do what I have been calling for and divert the foreign aid budget, even for a single month, then he would have nearly £1 billion to put into both short-term relief and long-term repairs and flood defences.

'That is the kind of money we need to combat a civil disaster on this scale. So the Prime Minister is quite wrong to pretend he has not made a choice between competing priorities.

'He has. And it is the wrong choice.’ Meanwhile, the Unite union called for a five-year post-flood regeneration plan for the South West and urged the Government to consider resurrecting the regional development agency (RDA) to co-ordinate reconstruction.

Unite regional secretary Laurence Faircloth said: ‘The South West needs a five-year reconstruction and development plan and we believe that the re-formation of the SWRDA, foolishly abolished in 2012, would be an excellent vehicle to spearhead such a programme.

‘Climate experts said that the effects of the flooding could last until May and the Government needs to act quickly to help those in agriculture and business who have lost their jobs.

'Those struggling, with perhaps no home or income coming in, need assistance now to put food on the table for their families.

‘The Government needs to be talking constantly to business and tourism representatives, as well as civic groups, to refine what the South West needs on a daily basis.

‘There is also the question of what financial assistance may be forthcoming from the EU - this possible pot of money needs to be investigated as a matter of urgency by ministers.’ At Prime Minister's Questions Mr Cameron repeated his pledge that ‘money is no object in this relief effort’ as he was questioned by Ed Miliband about the Transport Secretary's comments.

Mr Cameron said: ‘I want communities who are suffering and people who see water lapping at their doors to know that when it comes to the military, when it comes to sandbags, when it comes to restoring broken flood defences, all of those things, money is no object.

‘To be fair to the Transport Secretary this is what he said this morning: “money is not the issue while we are in this relief job”. That's what he said, he is absolutely right.’

He urged the emergency services gold commanders co-ordinating the response to flooding not to ‘think twice’ before calling on military assistance. Saved: An RSPCA team rescues a cat from a flooded house in Wraysbury, after its life was put in danger by the rising waters Fortunate escape: Inspector Alan Barnes of the RSPCA water rescue team evacuates a pet cat called Mac from a house in Wraysbury, Berkshire Help: The RSPCA head out to rescue animals from the floods. The charity hasprovided advice, support and monitoring in relation to more than 5,500 animals Swans a-swimming: Flooding at Fordbridge Caravan Park in Sunbury, Surrey, after the River Thames burst its banks Driving through: A Duck Tours amphibious vehicle helps out with the flooding evacuation and relief efforts in Old Windsor, Berkshire Statement: At Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Cameron repeated his pledge that 'money is no object in this relief effort'



The Labour leader said some people in flooded communities thought the armed forces were sent in too late, and asked the Prime Minister whether help in the coming days would be provided ‘in time rather than after the event’. RESIDENTS DESPERATE TO STOP AREA SUCCUMBING TO FLOODS

Weary homeowners in Surrey are taking matters into their own hands in a bid to save their community from succumbing to flooding.

Residents of Egham say they are exasperated that their pleas for help from the local authorities appear to be falling on deaf ears. Members of the military were brought in to dispatch sandbags to areas considered most prone to flooding, while police boats were also primed to evacuate the most vulnerable. The assistance came too late for those in the Pooley Green area of the town, where flood water - filthy with faeces from sewers - lapped around the thighs of some homeowners. Elsewhere, residents took the initiative, with two men digging an 8ft trench into the sodden soil in an attempt to drain stagnant water at the mouth of an estate into a vacant gully.

Mr Cameron said: ‘It's always been possible for gold commanders in these emergency situations to call on military assets. Indeed a military liaison officer is supposed to sit with those gold commanders and liaise with them.

‘What we've done in recent days is say very clearly to all the local authorities concerned, and we have contacted them individually, “if you want military assistance, don't think twice about it, think once, then ask, and they'll be there”.’ Downing Street said the total bill for the relief effort would depend in part on how many households and businesses apply for assistance. More than 5,500 properties have been flooded since early December and could be eligible for grants of up to £5,000 each to fund improvements to make them more resilient in future, said Mr Cameron's official spokesman. A senior Labour source said: ‘Having listened to Prime Minister's Questions, we can safely say that yesterday there were grand promises and today there seem to be a growing list of questions. ‘They have been slack in their preparation, they've been slow in their response and they seem to be incredibly unco-ordinated in this emergency. ‘There was obviously a lack of co-ordination between Eric Pickles and Owen Paterson over the weekend. That has continued into a lack of co-ordination between the Prime Minister and Transport Secretary today. ‘What we need is commitments on what the Prime Minister has said. If money is no object, will he commit to reconsidering redundancies at the Environment Agency and greater investment in our flood defences?’ The AA said that by early afternoon it had attended 29 flood-stricken vehicles, with the number since last Friday reaching 680.

Bringing assistance: A Duck Tours boat called 'Miranda' was out helping evacuating residents in Egham, Surrey Battling on: A man struggles in the floods in Runnymede, near Egham in Surrey (left), while another carries his dog in the same area (right)

Taken over by ducks: Henley Riverside Park has been lost to the River Thames following the dramatic flooding Burst its banks: The view upstream from Henley Bridge shows the scale of flooding in the area No-go area: Worcester Cathedral is seen to the south from Worcester Bridge, closed to general traffic, in Worcester Record levels: A plaque on a wall of The Old Rectifying House in Worcester reads 'On the 12th of February 1795 the FLOOD rose to the lower edge' more videos 1

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Darron Burness, head of the AA's flood rescue team, said: ‘We've never seen anything like it. The scale of the flood devastation is sobering and our crews report seeing hundreds of cars submerged in water, often still stuck on the drive.

WORCESTERSHIRE RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR RISING SEVERN

As the country battles extreme weather and ongoing floods, homeowners in Worcestershire are preparing themselves for continuing rising water from the River Severn.

The Environment Agency has warned that alongside the Thames in Oxfordshire, West Berkshire and Reading, the Severn in Worcestershire is at an increased risk of flooding for the next five days.

Christian Gandar, who lives alongside the river in Worcester, said he and nine other families on his cul de sac near the city's racecourse have been fending off water on-and-off since Christmas.

Mr Gandar and fiancee Gemma Brown bought their house - which has flood defences installed - 18 months ago, but high water levels have now seen an inch of floodwater seep into the lower parts of their home.

The 33-year-old, who is sales manager for a motorcycle company, said: ‘It's been up and down really since before Christmas.

'On Christmas Day I got a knock on the door from the neighbours at 7am, telling me to move my car because the road was flooding. It went down for a week or so then went back up.

‘It's been similar to the Somerset Levels but obviously not as widespread. We have had electricity, so not as bad as those guys, but it's the same scenario.’

When they bought the house 18 months ago, Mr Gandar said there was around £30,000 of flood defences installed by the previous owners after their house was flooded in 2007.

‘We bought here 18 months ago and we wouldn't have bought it if the previous owners hadn't had flood defences, and things like raised floors and raised electrics.

'But from 2007 until Christmas 2012 they hadn't flooded. When we moved in it was the first time they had been tested.’

So far, they have an inch of water in their hallway and downstairs lounge, but he said the kitchen and main living space is raised higher to avoid flooding.

‘It's a bit emotional because you think, how bad is it going to get?,’ he added. ‘We've still got electric and heating, if it comes to that stage of losing that then we'll be moving out for a while.

‘The drains are blocking up now, people are struggling to flush their toilets. Gemma's parents are coming round to get our washing because we can't get the washing machine on.

‘People have offered to come and help but there's not really that much they can do.’ Although the flooding is less widespread in his area, Mr Gandar agreed with fellow flood victims in the Somerset Levels that dredging could be part of a solution.

He said: ‘One of the guys has lived here for years and he said years and years ago when they used to dredge, it kept the waterway clear and water would run away quicker so you didn't get this scenario of floodwater staying up for weeks. I think dredging would help - it's an answer, albeit not the full answer.

‘And as everyone has been saying, the Environment Agency and the Government and all the different sectors just need to listen to people on the ground, people who have worked the land, people who have seen it for the last 60 years.’ ‘At the moment, the number one priority is getting our members to safety.

'The cars are an insurance job - written off. However, if your area is still at risk of further flooding, try to move your car to higher ground, if it's safe and practical to do so.’

The AA also warned motorists about entering vehicles that have been submerged in flood water.

Mr Burness said: ‘Water can play havoc with a vehicle's electronics and sometimes the consequences can be more dangerous, for example, compromising the safety of the airbags.

‘There's a risk they could go off unexpectedly, so our flood rescue crews use a special Kevlar-reinforced restraint over the steering wheel before working on the vehicle. If your car has been sitting in water, don't be tempted to try to move it, just call your insurer.’

John Allan, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, welcomed the support for businesses which may not be able to trade as a result of flooding and would be under financial pressure.

‘The Government now needs to look at how to make flood defences more robust to protect against these incidents.’

He said it remained a concern that the Government had chosen not to include small firms in the planned Flood Re scheme with industry to provide affordable flood insurance in high risk areas.

‘FSB research shows one in five small firms were affected by floods in 2012-13 and we know many struggle to get adequate insurance cover.

‘If they can't use this scheme, small businesses will be forced to pay exorbitantly high costs to be insured against this threat. We want the Government and the insurance industry to think again on this issue,’ he said.

The Department for Transport will provide £30million of additional funding for English councils affected by the severe weather to maintain roads and repair potholes and £31million for 10 rail schemes in the south west to improve resilience to flooding.

The Transport Secretary will also work with bus and coach operators to ensure that extra services are in place for areas affected by the storms and floods, Downing Street said.

The West Coast Main Line will close between Preston and Lancaster at around 7pm today for a couple of hours because of high winds, Network Rail said. Also, from 4pm today there will be speed restrictions on various rail routes in north west England, with passengers told to expect journey times to be extended by up to 60 minutes. At present there are no East Midlands Trains are running between Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime Street.

Surrey Police said around 1,000 homes in their area had been affected by flooding, with 600 people evacuated.

‘Latest forecasts indicate more rain is expected and water levels will continue to fluctuate over the coming days and into next week,’ a spokesman said. Meanwhile, it was announced that flood victims in Somerset would not have to pay part of their council tax until they return to their homes. Somerset County Council will suspend the county council part of the tax for residents affected by the flooding.

Council leader John Osman said: ‘We recognise that local people affected by the flooding are struggling and under tremendous strain. We want to remove one of their financial worries by suspending their council tax charge while they are stranded or unable to live in their home.

‘There are some people who are being asked to pay council tax both on their home that they have had to leave under traumatic circumstances, and also where they are now in emergency accommodation. That can't be right and we are reacting quickly to reassure people. And an academic said today that politicians must set aside party rivalry and plan the country's flood response ‘20 to 30 years ahead’.

Dr Nicholas Odoni, of Durham University's Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, said the problems faced across Southern England should not be seen as a sudden or unforeseeable disaster.

More thought was needed in how the whole environment fits together, with agencies working together to develop strategy.

The honorary fellow and research associate said: ‘The current flooding is a reminder that the areas where we live, including every component of the drainage and river network, are contributory elements subsumed within the wider ecological and physical workings of the landscape.

‘This system, as well as responding to the weather, also responds to every aspect of how we live now, for example how we build our towns and cities, how we grow our crops and use the land, how we run our transport systems, and also how and where we want to implement flood risk reduction measures, including drainage and dredging.

‘When we see the acute flooding problems in the Thames Valley or the Somerset Levels, and the need for immediate relief and alleviation, we have to keep in mind at all times that we are looking at the response of a complex system.

‘This needs to be examined, analysed and understood in a holistic way, over a 20-30 year timescale, if we are to deal with flood risk and all the other different modern demands on land use in a manner which is affordable and sustainable in the long-term.’

Dr Odoni added: ‘From a scientific perspective, this means continued close working with Government agencies, local authorities, related stakeholders and local people.

‘We need to develop the necessary modelling and monitoring tools, to review natural and man-made flood interventions, and to build the body of science that will enable society as a whole to achieve the kind of sustainable and affordable, long-term flood risk management that we all seek.

‘This means getting the wholehearted commitment of all political parties to adopt a long-term view of the landscape and flooding issues, so we shift attention from the four to five year electoral cycle to a much longer - and sustainable - flood management cycle, one which is supported and maintained properly throughout the ups and downs of the economy.’

The high winds also forced the closure of the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol for the first time in living memory. The Grade 1 listed bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, was closed for more than an hour as winds nearing 60mph made the 704ft span sway. Bridge master Dave Anderson said he could not remember wind ever closing the structure before. A lorry driver is in hospital after high winds blew over his vehicle in Bristol. Avon and Somerset Police have closed Spine Road, St Philips Causeway, Arnos Vale, in Bristol, in both directions as a ‘safety precaution’. A spokesman for the force said: ‘The decision has been made after the strong winds meant a lorry was blown over while driving along the road earlier this afternoon. The driver has been taken to hospital but he is not thought to have been seriously injured in the incident. 'Drivers are being advised to avoid the area until the road is reopened. It is unknown at this time when that will be.’ Residents of a Gloucestershire village who have been cut off for weeks because of flooding have received essential supplies by boat. Parts of Tirley, near Tewkesbury, are under 5ft of water after the River Severn flooded and 18 homes at Haw Bridge have been cut off since Christmas Day. A team from Severn Area Rescue Association was drafted in yesterday to take supplies of bread, milk, eggs and soup that have been donated by Sainsbury's. Village where 7ft of filthy water is lapping... at the rooftops by Nick Fagge Once, there was a shop, a road and a car park here. Now, there is just water. This is the Somerset village of East Lyng, where floodwater has reached depths of seven feet. As filthy brown water laps at windows and threatens homes, the pretty farmhouses and flower-lined streets have been abandoned by families fleeing the deluge. Two of the village’s four roads are now flooded and one business – the Somerset Levels Basket and Craft Centre – is almost completely submerged, its roof just visible over the water. Stacking up the sandbags: Lesley Webber, 52, outside her home in the flooded village of East Lyng, Somerset. Right, her home before the floods hit

And last night, fresh downpours threatened to cut the village’s only land link. While residents continue to battle to keep the flood at bay, one water-logged homeowner has refused to leave and is now living with a stream flowing into her ground floor. Pat Mennim, 77, said: ‘We have got no heating and it’s very cold. The water pumps are no longer doing any good – they’re pumping it out just as fast as it’s coming in again. ‘But I don’t want to leave. I’m worried about looting.’

Getting overcome: Lesley Webber, 52, with her friend Chris Napier, 44, outside of her home in the flooded village of East Lyng, Somerset Long battle: Mr Napier makes a call outside of the home of Ms Webber, in the flooded village of East Lyng, Somerset Mrs Mennim and her daughter Georgina, 42, moved their horses to higher ground on Sunday when the flood began to overwhelm their property. But the pair, along with their 17-year-old cat Bumble, have defiantly hung on, saying: ‘We have nowhere else to go.’ Meanwhile, just across the road, Ian and Lesley Webber are doing everything they can to keep the flood at bay. Agricultural contractor Mr Webber, 49, told the Daily Mail: ‘We’ve got 2,000 sand bags and 12 pumps working 24 hours a day. ‘All of our farm buildings are four feet six inches under water, and we are fighting to keep it out of the house. ‘I’m up half the night checking on the pumps, it’s really exhausting. But across the road the water is up to seven feet deep.’ Mrs Webber, 52, added: ‘We have a ten-bag high defence all around our house and the water is up to bag number eight now. ‘Our next-door neighbours were forced to leave last week because the water rose to about three-quarters of the way up their front door, it was horrible.

‘We are higher than them, probably one of the highest houses in the village. This house is 120 years old and has not flooded at all in that time.’

Hitting the roof: The murky water swamps the road and submerges the building Before the deluge: The Somerset Levels and Craft Centre Meanwhile, as Environment Agency engineers embark on a complex strategy to drain the Somerset Levels, villagers have accused the authorities of ‘sacrificing’ their homes to protect nearby towns. Emergency dykes have been dug to save Bridgwater and Taunton and extra pumps imported from Holland to divert the water towards drainage channels and rivers. But residents of the low-lying villages fear the accumulated water will simply be diverted towards their homes.

Widow Lily Elderfield of Westonzoyland said: ‘I am elderly and I am very, very frightened. The floodwater has already entered my garden and it won’t take much more before it’s in my house. Neighbour Colin Bennet, 62, added: ‘We’ve heard rumours that the Environment Agency is prepared to deliberately sacrifice Westonzoyland to save Bridgwater.’ In a statement, the Environment Agency said: ‘This is an emergency situation and some difficult decisions have to be made.’

ALMOST 2,000 HOUSES WITHOUT POWER IN FLOOD-RAVAGED VILLAGE AS STORMS CONTINUE TO CAUSE TROUBLE

Around 1,700 homes in the flood-ravaged village of Datchet have been hit by power cuts as storms continue to wreak havoc across southern Britain.

Thousands of people in the Thameside village were left without electricity from 8.10pm last night as they battle to cope with the aftermath of severe flooding in the area.

A spokesman for Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), the area's electricity providers, said engineers are working tirelessly to solve the fault and around 700 homes have already been reconnected. The company said it hoped to restore power to the remaining 1,000 homes overnight.

An SSE spokesman said: ‘The power went off at around 8.10pm. Initially there were around 1,700 homes affected, there are now around 1,000 homes still without power.

‘Our engineers are undertaking a process called switching, which is when they switch the network to locate the fault and restore power to homes affected. We are expecting to have their power restored in the next few hours.’

The spokesman said it was ‘too early to say’ what was responsible for the sudden loss of power, but he did not rule out that flooding could lie behind it and a full investigation will be carried out once electricity is restored.

Homes, shops and businesses in the Berkshire village, which is near Windsor Castle, have all been flooded with water which has escaped from the swollen River Thames. The spokesman said: ‘It is too early to say what the precise cause of the flood is, clearly we can't rule the water out at this time.

‘But our focus is to get the power back on. Our engineers are working to restore power as quickly as possible. We would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience and thank them for their patience as we carry out the repairs.’

He urged any customers affected by the power cut and seeking advice to call the company's emergency line on 0800 0727 282. The line will give the latest information on when power is likely to be restored.

How the extent of flooding could reach that last seen in 1947

Flooding levels could reach those last seen in 1947, the emergency committee Cobra has been warned.

Some 67 years ago Britain was in the grip of a Big Freeze. Heavy snow and freezing temperatures saw homes left without power and children sent to bed without dinner.

The thaw was accompanied by heavy rain, with widespread floods affecting as many as 31 counties south of the River Ouse, destroying 70,000 acres of wheat and 80,000 tons of potatoes.

Looking back: Horse drawn carriages were brought in to supply marooned families with necessities during the Shrewsbury floods of March 1947

David Cameron chaired a meeting of Cobra in Downing Street this morning where he was warned the harsh winter of 1947 could be repeated.

Environment Agency chief executive Paul Leinster told ministers, council leaders and the army: 'Oxford to Maidenhead we think could rise over the next five days and may lead to more flooding in that area.

'Below Maidenhead, the levels are holding at the current level but potentially over the weekend and going into the beginning of next week they could rise to higher than the current levels.

'The current extent of flooding is similar to 2003 and in places we believe it could get to 1947 levels but, of course, there has been further work done since then, so we wouldn't expect to see the same levels of properties affected.'

Devastation: Homes in the Surrey town of Staines - which was renamed Staines-upon-Thames in 2012 - were inundated when the Thames burst its banks in 1947

Overdraft extensions and faster cash loans for flood victims



Water levels: Gary Bill (centre) stands with his daughters Phoebe and Chloe outside his flooded house in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey

Banks and building societies are offering a helping hand to support flood victims, with offers of mortgage repayment holidays, overdraft extensions and speeded-up cash loans to cover emergency costs.

Nationwide, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), NatWest, HSBC and Santander have all announced measures to step up efforts to ease the financial stress on families and businesses.

HSBC has pledged to give those customers affected more flexibility, including fast-tracking credit acceptances as well as loan and overdraft extensions. It said it will consider giving customers a loan repayment holiday of up to three months and will waive or reduce arrangement fees on loans and overdrafts.

The bank said it has been calling agricultural customers to ensure they have the support they need and it is also using mapping technologies to identify the most at-risk properties and pro-actively contact customers to offer its support.



HSBC has posted insurance claim loss adjusters to some of the worst-hit areas, such as Somerset and the Thames Valley, to ensure claims can be processed quickly.



Meanwhile, Santander has set up a special helpline to deal with inquiries - 0800 121 4993 - and said it will consider giving mortgage customers a payment holiday or converting their deal to an interest-only loan.



Customer overdraft extensions, including those which are business or personal, will be made without renewal or extension fees being charged. Santander will also add an extra £100,000 to its ‘community plus’ programme, which hands out grants to small, locally-based charities.

The additional money will be available to help communities recover from the impact of the flooding.

Nationwide also said that it will give extra help to those flood victims who are struggling with their mortgage repayments and they should contact the building society on 0845 6011184. Nationwide current account customers can ask for a temporary overdraft or an increase in their overdraft limit to cover emergency expenses by contacting 0845 6011184.

Many people will have had their paperwork damaged in the floods or be unable to access it and Nationwide said that in such cases it will find other ways to securely identify its customers.

Meanwhile, RBS and NatWest, which are part of the same banking group, will grant three month mortgage repayment holidays to customers with flooded homes who apply for this.

The two banks are also sending out specialist business support teams to visit flooded areas to help firms with short-term financial problems as they conduct urgent repair work and deal with loss of trading income.

In January, RBS/NatWest announced a £250 million UK Storm Business Fund that can provide short-term, interest-free financing to help speed recovery for businesses affected by recent floods and gales. The fund is available to all businesses, not just those that are customers of RBS and NatWest.

£5,000 GRANTS FOR FLOOD VICTIMS Grants of up to £5,000 will be available to businesses and homeowners hit by flooding to better protect their properties in future.

David Cameron gave details of the grants and a promise of business rate relief as he repeated his pledge that ‘money is no object’ in the relief effort.

At Prime Minister's Questions he said: ‘We will be introducing a grant for all affected homeowners and businesses to build in better flood protection as they repair their properties. That will be up to £5,000 per house and per business.

‘On top of that we are announcing a £10million fund for farmers who have seen their land waterlogged day after day, week after week.

‘And I can also announce today that we will be deferring the tax payments that businesses have to pay and all of the businesses that have been affected by floods will get 100 per cent business rate relief.’

Some reports have estimated that the total insurance bill for the flood damage could be around £1 billion, with concerns also raised about the potential this could have for forcing up premiums.

A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said: ‘It is too early to say if the current floods will have an impact on future premiums - this is a highly competitive market. Premium levels take into account a range of factors, not just claims from one event.’

The spokesman said that as flooding is still continuing, ‘we cannot speculate on the total cost of claims’. The great storm of 1987 cost around £2billion in today's money while the summer floods of 2007 resulted in a hit of more than £3billion.

Lloyds Banking Group has announced a £250million fund to provide fee-free lending for businesses and farmers, as part of the help it is offering to flood victims. Businesses across Britain can apply for the fund through Lloyds Banking Group's branches and business centres.

The fund will help businesses manage through the tough weather conditions, for example by helping farmers fund food and shelter for livestock. It aims to help any businesses that are unable to trade and those that are trying to get back on track.

Lloyds said it has been giving immediate support to affected businesses by increasing overdrafts, waiving fees and providing loan repayment holidays. It has also been making calls to farming customers, providing overdrafts where required.

To support families, Lloyds has been providing emergency payments and offering alternative accommodation where needed, as well as relocating specialist staff. Lloyds has also been contacting customers to offer same-day bank transfers for crucial items including clothing, food and alternative accommodation.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has also launched a phone helpline for anyone affected by the floods to get help with tax problems.



HMRC said it will agree 'a practical approach' where people and businesses have lost vital records due to the floods, suspend debt collection proceedings for those affected and cancel penalties when the taxpayer has missed statutory deadlines.



It will also agree payments to be made in instalments in cases where taxpayers are unable to hand over the money as a result of the floods. The helpline number is 0800 904 7900.

Frail Somerset flood victims still trapped in homes seven weeks on

Frail flood victims are still trapped in their homes with nowhere to turn more than seven weeks after murky waters rose and surrounded their houses.



Lorraine Catterall, 45, suffers from multiple sclerosis and the crippling pain condition fibromyalgia, which often confines her to a wheelchair.



The disabled mother-of-one has been unable to leave her marooned home since December 23 after rising flood waters cut-off her village of Thorney, Somerset.



Stuck: Lorraine Catterall, 45, suffers from multiple sclerosis and the crippling pain condition fibromyalgia, which often confines her to a wheelchair

With her dog: Mrs Catterall, 45, has been unable to leave her marooned home since December 23 after rising flood waters cut-off her village of Thorney, Somerset She is too frail to join neighbours in the tractor ferrying residents to the 'mainland' and fears it could be weeks before she is able to leave her home.

PINK FLOYD HOUSEBOAT IS LASHED TO TREE TO SAVE IT FROM FLOODS

A historic houseboat which has been turned into a studio used by Pink Floyd to record songs had to be lashed to a tree to prevent it from floating away.

The century-old Astoria has been owned by the group's guitarist David Gilmour for 28 years and has also been used for his solo material as well as mixing a number of releases.

The Floyd frontman's wife Polly Samson posted a picture of the houseboat online (above) with webbing straps stretched across a flooded riverbank to hold it in position on the deluged River Thames.

She wrote on Twitter: ‘They've tied Astoria to a tree to stop her from floating away.’

The boat - moored at Hampton, Surrey - was built for music hall impresario Fred Karno, whose troupe of comic acts included Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, in 1911.

Its grand scale, at 90ft long, was designed to accommodate an orchestra to enable Karno to have the finest boat on the stretch.

It has been used to record sections of Pink Floyd albums A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and The Division Bell, and also featured in the BBC series Three Men In A Boat, in which Dara O'Briain, Griff Rhys Jones and Rory McGrath recreated the journey in the book by Jerome K Jerome from Kingston Upon Thames to Oxford. The former florist and graphic designer is now calling on the Environment Agency to ‘stop wasting money’ and clear the silt-ridden waterways around her home.

Mrs Catterall said: ‘I sit there watching other people doing things, just sitting there myself in my room, just watching TV. I haven't been out the house for weeks. I'm so fed up. There are so many things I wish I was out doing and seeing.

‘I've gone from being up and about, running my own business in London not so many years ago, to being stuck at home, to then this - not being able to leave the house. It's the last straw.’

She was diagnosed with complex pain condition fibromyalgia seven years ago, and MS in 2000, leaving her unable to walk more than a few metres. On bad days she cannot get out of bed.

But Mrs Catterall has managed to retain her independence with the help of her husband Jason, 48, and a specially-adapted mobility car.



However, it cannot cross the 0.6mile-long stretch of murky waters which have surrounded the home she shares with her husband and his mother Ann Long, 73, since before Christmas.

Mrs Catterall, who has never claimed benefits despite near-constant pain, added: ‘I can't get my wheelchair out on to anything and I haven't got the strength to get up into the tractor or trailer.



‘Even if I could, I just couldn't stand for the length of the journey across the water. I do think more could have been done to help us. Some villages, as soon as flooding hit they had people out helping them.

‘I don't begrudge that, but we needed help too and it is only in the last few weeks the army and the 4x4s have turned up. I think the Environment Agency need to be dredging the rivers and stop wasting money.

‘They've wasted all this money on creating wetlands and wildlife areas when they could have spent money on protecting people here as well as wildlife which is now underwater.’



Meanwhile Pat Mennim, 77, and her daughter have been forced to stick it out in their drenched home because they say ‘we've got nobody else in the world’.



The pair - who are without heating and water - have been forced to wade around their home in East Lyng, Somerset, in wellington boots after water crept over flood defences last week.



The ‘forgotten’ duo had to rely on neighbours to help them move furniture upstairs because they have yet to be visited by anyone from the council or Environment Agency.



Ms Mennim slammed the succession of Governments visits from David Cameron and Nick Clegg - dubbed locally as the ‘Westminster flood tourists’.



She said: ‘They just come and they say we are going to do this and were going to do that - they bang on about it but they don't do anything.

‘Cameron keeps saying we will make sure the flood victims are going to get compensation but are we going to? Are we? There's so much damage- I wonder who is going to pay for it all.



‘Chris Smith is deluded. The men on the ground are working very hard but it's higher up that's the problem - they want sacking. They haven't supported us, they haven't been down here - we are a forgotten corner.’

Problems: Pat Mennim, 77, in her flooded home in East Lyng, Somerset. She lives there with her daughter Georgina. The ground floor of their house is now under water

Worries: Ms Mennim is calling for immediate action from the Government - but fears help will come too late for her home and is beginning to lose hope

Since water crept in on Sunday, the pair have been forced to send their horses to livery and their 17-year-old cat Bumble has been confined upstairs.



Ms Mennim is calling for immediate action from the Government - but fears help will come too late for her home and is beginning to lose hope.



She said: ‘Before we flooded I was up every hour looking at the water. Now I stay in, pick up a large gin and tonic and go to bed.It is intimidating.



'We have got no heating and it's very cold. For a couple more days we will stay but I think it will be overwhelming by then.



‘The water pumps are no longer doing any good - they're pumping it out just as fast it's coming in again. But I don't want to leave. I'm worried about looting. We might have been okay if they had got on with stuff - dredged and planned a bit more and had the pumps serviced before the flooding.’

Charity: Supermarket giant Tesco has been transporting sandbags instead of groceries across Berkshire County to aid flood relief

River Severn level doubles in a day

by Ben Spencer

Water levels on parts of the Severn nearly doubled in 24 hours yesterday as rain continued to fall.

The Environment Agency measured the Severn at 5.09m (16ft) last night, nearly double the 2.8m (9ft) level it was on Tuesday.

Dozens of stranded residents were evacuated in the city of Worcester as the water levels rose. Homes in the up-market Diglis area of the city were abandoned as water began lapping over windowsills and seeped into stairwells.

Rescue boats were sent down streets in the nearby town of Callow End after the water became too deep for a tractor which had helped reach stranded residents.

In the Hylton Road area of Worcester firefighters rescued people from their flooded homes, including one elderly lady who was held over the torrent still in her wheelchair.

Flotsam and jetsam: Huge amounts of debris block the arches of the bridge over the river Severn in Worcester, adding to concerns that the town will flood as the water levels continue to rise

Dave Throup of the Environment Agency said: ‘Appalling does not even begin to describe conditions in Worcester at the moment. The river is still rising.’

Worcester Bridge was closed across the Severn, with the city council putting on emergency shuttle buses to help people take the five mile diversion across the city.

Resident Kim Weston said: ‘The waters are rising up the front of properties but the city council will not provide us with any sandbags. People living along the road have been forgotten. They are just ignoring us.’

Up the river in Bewdley, shopkeeper James Phillips, 56, said: ‘Thank God for those defences, but if they aren’t enough this town will be gone.’

Christian Gandar, who lives alongside the river, said he and nine other families on his road near the city’s racecourse have been fending off water since Christmas.

Mr Gandar and fiancee Gemma Brown bought their house – which has flood defences installed – 18 months ago, but high water levels have now seen an inch of floodwater seep into the lower parts of their home.

The 33-year-old, who is a sales manager for a motorcycle company, said: ‘It’s been up and down really since before Christmas.

‘It’s a bit emotional because you think, how bad is it going to get?

‘We’ve still got electric and heating, if it comes to that stage of losing that then we will be moving out for a while.’

Flotsam and jetsam: Huge amounts of debris block the arches of the bridge over the river Severn in Worcester, adding to concerns that the town will flood as the water levels continue to rise

Flooded crops warning for gardeners and allotment owners

£750,000 FLEET OF TRACTORS SENT BY JCB TO HELP FLOODED AREAS Construction equipment giant JCB has reacted to the national flooding crisis by deploying a £750,000 fleet of machines to help out in the worst-affected areas.

The Staffordshire-based company said four high-speed Fastrac tractors are being sent to areas where people and livestock need to be moved away from advancing flood waters.

Meanwhile, two JCB backhoe excavators will be used to bolster flood defences and eventually assist in clearing away debris left behind by floodwater.

JCB has already supplied a telescopic handling machine to support Somerset farmers left without feed and bedding for livestock evacuated to dry land.

JCB chairman Lord Bamford said: ‘The scale of the floods and the anguish being caused is devastating for all concerned.

‘As Britain's biggest manufacturer of construction equipment, we are in a position to provide machinery quickly to help families and farmers who are suffering so dreadfully through the floods.

‘It's my hope that the JCB machines we're providing will help alleviate that suffering. The machines are being shipped from JCB's world headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, today and will be operated by drivers provided by the Construction Industry Training Board.'

Allotment owners and gardeners hit by flooding have been warned against eating fruit and vegetable crops that could have been contaminated by sewage.



The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) issued the warning as it set out advice for gardeners on coping with flooding, which is set to linger into the spring when people will be starting to sow and plant flowers and food crops.



The long-term effects of flooding on gardens should not be too bad, as long as the flood water was not seawater, the RHS said.



Chief horticultural adviser at the RHS Guy Barter said: ‘Once the water goes down, the soil will be ready to sow and plant after a few days.



'There could be rubbish to pick up and people have got to be aware of contamination from sewage, and they will want to take appropriate precautions for that.



‘The soil won't be damaged beyond repair, although nutrients will be washed away so investment in fertilisers is a good idea.



‘But if we get an average spring and summer there should be no long-term consequences.’



Edible crops close to being harvested should not be eaten in case flood water was contaminated, the RHS advised.



Crops that are eaten raw should not be harvested for another six months, although the experts said it was best to avoid growing salads and uncooked crops in flooded land for two years to avoid the risk of disease spores.



But crops such as root vegetables which are cooked before being eaten are safe, and fruit from trees and bushes that stand above the water will also be safe to consume, the RHS said.



Rubbish left in gardens after the floods recede should be put out in the household waste or bagged up and taken to the local waste disposal site.



Gardeners are also being urged to make sure products such as greenhouse paraffin, fertilisers and pesticides are put where they cannot cause pollution.



And electricity in sheds and greenhouses should be disconnected if it is likely they will be flooded, and not switched on again until it has been checked by a qualified electrician.



Ruined plants can be dug into the soil or put in the compost bin, the RHS said, but fertiliser or mulch should not be put on the soil when it is saturated as it may cause pollution or be wasted.



The experts also said that where it looked like there would be serious delays in the soil drying out, gardeners should sow plants in pots and seed trays on the patio, at home and or window sills or buy plants in from nurseries so they can get them outside in mid-spring.

Army help offer as 100mph storm hits Wales

Wales has been offered military help as winds up to 100mph battered the principality's coastline.

Secretary of State David Jones spoke to First Minister Carwyn Jones after the UK government's emergency Cobra meeting and offered the Army's help.

A Welsh government spokesman said: ‘Given the weather forecast from the Met Office for the next 24 hours of strong winds in west Wales, the Secretary of State spoke to the First Minister this morning. He told the First Minister that, if required, he just needs to ask for military assistance.

Waves break over the sea wall at high tide at Aberystwyth, West Wales, last night

Huge gusts: A woman walks through 100mph winds on the West Wales coast at Aberystwyth

‘Obviously the kind of assistance will depend on what was needed. However, the Secretary of State, having attended Cobra this morning, said he would work with Cabinet colleagues to make resources available.’

Winds in Wales have already reached 94mph - and it is feared they could top 100mph later in the day. And added to yet more rain and atrocious conditions, 6,300 homes in Wales have been left without power.

The conditions have prompted the Met Office to issue a red warning for Wales - the first time it has done so this winter.

A spokesman said: ‘During this afternoon a swathe of exceptionally strong winds is expected to affect western parts of Wales. Winds are expected to gust 80mph widely and possibly reach 100mph in the most exposed locations in west and northwest Wales.’

Dangerous conditions: A man walks through the sand storm at the Swansea seafront in South Wales

Among the worst affected areas have been Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, Conwy and Powys.

Dyfed-Powys Police and North Wales Police said they have both held emergency meetings with other agencies to discuss the storm, which has been causing severe damage in parts of Wales.



Strong gusts caused disruption in west Wales with roads closed due to fallen trees and more than 70 schools shut across the country.

Arriva Trains Wales has also issued a warning that many of its lines will not be operating between 2pm and 8pm because of the weather. A spokesman said: ‘We're advising Mainline customers to travel as early as possible - alternative transport may not be available due to poor road conditions.’