Neath Port Talbot and Swansea areas were worst affected

Flooding has hit homes and roads in south west Wales following torrential rainfall during the night.

Fire crews went to about 20 incidents in four hours and worked through the night to help those affected.

An elderly woman was rescued when houses were washed out in a street in Baglan, Port Talbot.

Merthyr Tydfil fire station has also been hit by flooding. There are some road closures, including at Langland, Swansea where a pothole has opened up.

Mid and West Wales Fire Service said they have worked through the night to help people who have been flooded in their homes, following the torrential rain.

About eight houses on a street in Baglan near Port Talbot were washed out leaving one elderly woman needing to be rescued.

She spent the night with a neighbour as firefighters continue to pump out the water.

A spokesman said the busiest time was from 2200 BST to 0200 BST. The main areas affected were Baglan, Briton Ferry, Neath, Port Talbot, and Port Eynon and Reynoldston in Swansea.

Crews were called to pump out water from domestic properties.

Pot hole

South Wales Fire Service say Merthyr Tydfil Fire Station has been affected with minor flooding overnight.

Water was leaking through a window and affected all floors. It happened at about 2330 BST.

South Wales Police said part of the carriageway and footpath at Higher Lane, Langland, Swansea, has been closed by the council after a pot hole, 4ft 6ins in diameter, opened up.

It happened at about 1740 BST on Wednesday.

Police also said many single track roads on Gower have been affected by the rain overnight but that the situation seems to be easing now.

Roads closed due to flooding included the A4118 Gower Road and the A474 at Neath Port Talbot although the A4063 Cymer Road between Caerau Road and Woodlands Terrace re-opened on Thursday morning.

The A48 from Pentwyn to the Pentylla junction 41 of the M4 is also closed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-11093742

Brian Hardman by the remains of the Old Forge at Great Livermere following Monday evening's tornado gthat struck the village

A TORNADO has left a wake of devastation after it ripped through a quiet Suffolk village.

The freak twister tore through Great Livermere around 5pm yesterday, tearing up trees and destroying roofs.

Joyce Still scrambled to hide in her hall to avoid flying glass as the devastating weather was raging overhead.

“It was like a bomb had gone off,” she said. “It was really terrifying.

“The window smashed in and there was glass flying everywhere.”

In less than a minute, the twister left a huge trail of destruction, tearing down part of an historic forge at the heart of the village green.

Brian Hardman, 57, had just left the small cottage when the tornado brought the flint walls crashing down.

“There was an almighty roar then I heard all this banging and smashing,” he said. “It is heartbreaking to see the forge like this.”

Neighbours were today rallying to help each other as the massive clear-up operation began.

Tree branches and roof tiles still litter the floor as stunned villagers begin to take in the scale of the devastation.

Bill Dean, 69, said: “We were scared for our lives.

“Hopefully it is something you only experience once in a lifetime.”

http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/freak_tornado_hits_village_1_602070

STORMY weather tore down trees and flooded properties overnight on Sunday.

Flash flooding ravaged four family homes in Salerno Place, Hamworthy, in the middle of the night, reaching a foot deep in the gardens and ankle depth inside.

Water seeped through walls and under doors, lifting carpets, wrecking tumble dryers and washing machines, and knocking out the power and phones in one house.

One resident described the water, which quickly surrounded their house as between midnight and 2am, as “like a river.”

One mum-of-two, who alerted her neighbours to the danger, said: “We came out to the garden and it was ankle deep and getting higher and faster so I started banging on the doors to get the other houses up.

“It was seeping through the walls – any little cracks. There’s a few things ruined but what can you do?”

She said they were up until 2.30am battling the water – then it disappeared.

“It just vanished. Within 15 minutes it went,” she added.

Another resident said: “It was flowing like a river. It was knee high in the garden.”

His wife added: “The children’s slide was floating in the garden.”

Dorset Fire and Rescue said they received a number of calls overnight on Sunday thanks to the heavy weather.

A crew attended a shop in High Street, Swanage, after reports that a leak in the roof was affecting the electrical supply at midnight.

And a crew from Christchurch were called to Airspeed Road in Mudeford at 2.20am to deal with flooding in an industrial property.

Throughout the early hours reports came in of fallen trees blocking roads, including at Fair View Crescent in Broadstone; on the B3078 between Wimborne and Cranborne; Huntick Road, Lytchett Minster; and Roke Road, Bere Regis. A fallen branch partially blocked the road at Badbury Rings, but was shifted by a member of the public.

The rest of the week is forecast to be changeable, with sunshine today, followed by rain on Wednesday and Thursday, and things improving by Friday.

Parkstone Library was closed yesterday after heavy rain through the weekend leaked through the clock tower and into the entrance lobby.

Work was being done to resolve the problem and the library is being reopened as soon as it’s safe – expected to be lunchtime today.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8348419.Dorset_homes_damaged_as_storm_wreaks_havoc/

TORRENTIAL downpours at the weekend saw some areas of Bristol receiving the whole of the average August rainfall within 24 hours.

Flash floods were also expected last night during a bout of stormy weather.

Two pubs were flooded on Saturday after heavy rain.

Bristol would normally get about three inches (80mm) of rain in August.

The Met Office said last night: “There is a high risk of severe weather affecting parts of southern and eastern England during Sunday night and Monday morning.

“Heavy rainfall overnight is expected to give 20-30mm of rain widely and perhaps 50-80mm locally. This rain may be accompanied by gale force winds towards southern and eastern coasts.

“The heavy rain could lead to flooding in some areas and cause disruption to outdoor events and transport networks.”

Thankfully, the forecast for later today through to Wednesday is for sunny spells. Thunderstorms on Saturday and last night meant some places escaped the deluge, while others saw roads turned into sheets of water as drains were unable to cope with the water.

Customers at the Carpenters Arms in Church Road, Wick, helped landlady Jo Thornhill to mop up after the bar area filled with two inches of water.

A fire crew from Speedwell also assisted with mopping and sweeping.

Ms Thornhill said rainwater had run off the ramp from the car park and into the pub.

Firefighters also went to the Ship and Castle in Congresbury, where the rain caused four inches of water to bubble up from the floor in about a minute.

Diners were amazed to see the arrival of the water and then the fire crew.

Owner Helen Thornton said: “This is the second time this has happened since I came here two years ago. It is because the drains in front of the building are collapsing on the roadside.”

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Pubs-flood-month-s-worth-rain-falls-just-day/article-2557079-detail/article.html

The Met Office warned of potential disruption for drivers travelling to work on Monday morning

Torrential rain and gale-force winds hit parts of England and Wales overnight after the Met Office issued a series of severe weather warnings.

Up to 4cm (1.5in) of rain fell in just an hour in some areas of Devon and Hampshire – more than half of the average monthly total.

No major flooding is reported but the rain has caused delays on some roads.

The heaviest rain has spread eastwards to Yorkshire, the East Midlands, West Midlands, Humberside and East Anglia.

The BBC Weather Centre said the situation was easing with London and south-east England now mainly clear.

But rain will be followed by gale-force winds and gusts reaching more than 60 miles per hour, especially in more exposed parts of Kent, the southern counties, Sussex and Lincolnshire.

The Highways Agency said flooding had closed the A249 near Sittingbourne in Kent, affecting the northbound section between the M2 and A250.

There is a flood warning in place for the the River Sheppey at Shepton Mallet and Croscombe in Somerset.

Slow-moving, heavy rain is also expected in north-west Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Lots of calls

A BBC Weather Centre spokeswoman said: “There is a risk of local flooding, and with the wind there is also the risk of disruption due to loose branches and debris on the roads.”

She added that the heavy weather was more typical of autumn than summer.

Thorney Island, in Hampshire, and Plymouth, in Devon, both reported about 4cm (1.5in) of rain overnight.

But emergency services reported no major incidents, with Hampshire Fire Brigade saying it had taken a large number of calls, mostly from people concerned about water in their cellars.

London Fire Brigade also said it had been relatively busy and was “getting busier”, but was not dealing with any significant problems so far.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11051760

Homes and businesses in parts of Bath were flooded during downpours which brought 30cm (1.2in) of rain overnight.

Homes in London Road and shops in The Corridor shopping complex in the city centre were affected.

Which Watch and Cult were among the businesses hit, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said.

Fire crews were called at 0330 BST and left about an hour-and-a-half later. The damage is not thought to be serious.

In South Gloucestershire, the B4059 between Thornbury and Yate has been closed due to flooding, the Highways Agency said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11055457