Councils on alert as major storm poses flooding risk » Environment » 24dash.com

The first major storm of the autumn will hit the UK tomorrow bringing rain, high winds and a risk of localised flooding.

South-west England and Wales will bear the brunt of tomorrow's storms with up to 2in (50mm) of rain and 50mph winds expected.

Michael Dukes, forecast manager of MeteoGroup, said: "There is an area of low pressure moving in from the Atlantic.

"Cornwall will be hit first tonight, and then the rain will move across the country tomorrow.

"After a soggy August the ground is already saturated and, with such large amounts of rain likely to fall in under 24 hours, there is a high risk of localised flooding.

"Strong winds will add to the misery with gusts over 50mph in some exposed southern and western areas, although it's the torrential rain that is likely to be the bigger hazard."

He said that in upland areas there could be as much as 3in of rainfall tomorrow.

Heavy rain is also expected to spread to parts of Ireland and southern Scotland by tomorrow evening.

But northern Scotland will escape unscathed and will enjoy the best conditions anywhere in the UK.

The outlook over the weekend is equally bleak, with more heavy showers predicted for much of England, Wales and southern Scotland on Saturday.

People in Gloucestershire are bracing themselves for another night of heavy rain after storms swept into the region, causing flash floods.

Downpours overnight and this morning led to road closures in the county and firefighters had to pump out floodwater from homes.

Residents are now preparing for the possibility of more flooding after forecasters predicted downpours to continue throughout the night and into the morning as the South West feels the brunt of a storm coming in from the Atlantic.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for the region until tomorrow evening and say around 2in of rain is expected.

Gloucestershire County Council has put services on high alert after learning from the lessons of the major floods which wreaked havoc throughout the county in July last year.

Around 13 houses in Lakeside Avenue, Lydney, have been affected by flash flooding and householders say it is the second time this year the street has been deluged.

After spending the day clearing away the water, they are now barricading their homes with sandbags.

Angus Cooper, 91, and his neighbours managed to save his fridge from the rainwater as it flooded his garage.

"This is the second time I have been flooded but we have managed to stop it coming into the house," he said.

"My neighbours have been excellent - they lifted the fridge off the floor to stop the food getting ruined like last time.

"I'm afraid to say that we are expecting it to be heavy again in the morning.

"We have sandbags but whether or not that will help we do not know.

"We do not feel very happy about having to go through all this again - for some people it is the third time."

Neighbour Karen Easton, 49, said drains in the street cannot cope with excess water.

"After the flooding in January the council did do some work on the drainage but it is has happened again and the water is much higher than before," she said.

"My mother's garage and porch is flooded and there is mud everywhere.

"Further down the street they have sewerage in their houses again.

"One lady has only just finished re-decorating after the January floods."

Council workers have been drafted in to clear roads and ensure drainage systems are free of obstructions.

Robinswood Primary School in Gloucester will be closed tomorrow because of flooding in its playground and field.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue said firefighters are very busy and are asking people not to contact them if they are concerned about flooding unless it is an emergency.

Instead householders are advised to call the Environment Agency's Floodline on 0845 988 1188.

Chris Rogan, head of Gloucestershire Highways, said: "According to weather reports, we have had 2in of rain last night and we are expected to get the same tonight and through Friday.

"This rain is forecast to continue until Monday, but we are not too alarmed.

"We've got teams out across the county ensuring gullies are clear and that systems are working as well as possible.

"We also have extra teams available on stand-by and they can be called upon throughout the weekend."

Mr Dukes, of MeteoGroup, warned road users to take care during tomorrow's rush-hour.

"The first major storm system of the autumn is approaching from the Atlantic and it will bring pretty appalling weather, particularly in the morning rush-hour, with lots of heavy rain and gusty winds, so we are expecting some significant flood problems."