Heavy rain sparks UK flood alerts » Communities » 24dash.com

Flood alerts were in force in 10 areas of the country today following heavy rain over the last few days.

The Environment Agency issued warnings for four rivers in Wales, three in south-west England, two in the Thames region and one in the north-east.

A band of heavy rain passed over the country yesterday, intensifying as it moved north and east, and some areas were deluged with half a month's worth of rain in a day.

Belfast recorded the heaviest downpour, with 36mm falling in 24 hours, and a total of eight people were rescued from floodwaters in Northern Ireland yesterday.

Three teenage girls camping on a mountainside and five motorists trapped in their cars by flood water were rescued after downpours hit the region.

In Scotland, a clear-up operation was under way today after homes in Fife were flooded.

The towns of Cupar and Freuchie were worst affected, with reports of some houses being inundated with three or four feet of water.

Emergency services worked through the night to clear water from homes and roads, and Fife Council handed out sandbags to residents.

Forecasters reported 31mm of rain falling at RAF Leuchars through the night, compared with 13mm in Edinburgh and the Borders.

Eastern England also came in for a soaking, with 29mm falling at Wattisham in Suffolk, 25mm at Waddington in Lincolnshire and 18mm in Weybourne, on the Norfolk coast.

The Environment Agency issued "flood watch" alerts for the Ely, Rhymney, Llynfi and Ogmore and Taf and Cynin rivers in Wales; the catchment areas for the Cole and Ray rivers in the Thames region; the Exmoor, Dartmoor and Tamar rivers in the south-west and the River Nidd in North Yorkshire.

People living in these areas are advised to monitor local weather forecasts, keep an eye on water levels nearby and be prepared to act in case of flooding.

Holidaymakers heading off to the continent to escape the rain were in for a rough trip over the English Channel, with a force 10 storm likely to disrupt ferry operations.

A Port of Dover spokesman said all sailings from the Eastern Docks with P&O Ferries and SeaFrance to Calais, with Norfolkline to Dunkirk and from the Hoverport with Speedferries to Boulogne were likely to be affected.

Passengers were being advised to contact their operator.

Rob Hutchinson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the weather in the second half of the week was likely to be very changeable.

"There are no signs of any prolonged spell of settled weather just yet,"
he said.

"North and west areas of the country are likely to see more showers over the next few days, and there will be one or two in the south as well.

"In previous Augusts - last year excepted - we have got used to quite nice weather at this time of the month, but it's not looking that way this year."

But there were tentative indications that finer, more settled weather may be in store later in the month.