Flooding sparks major incident and worst is yet to come

A major incident has been declared in the Midlands as a major river burst its banks after days of grim weather.

Storm Henk has led to rising levels along the River Trent in Nottinghamshire, leading to warnings that locals may need to evacuate their homes.

The local council has said the river water is threatening to reach the highest levels on record, which were last seen in 2000.

In Oxfordshire, an 87-year-old woman died after her car hit a fallen tree, making her the second person to have died in the weather chaos.

Thames Valley Police said she crashed her red Smart Forfour on the B4526 near the hamlet of Crays Pond at around 5.25pm on Tuesday, and died at the scene.

A report has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct relating to the incident, as the force was told about the fallen tree around an hour and a half before the collision.

The same day, a man in his fifties died when a tree fell on his car near Kemble in Gloucestershire.

A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for heavy rain across the south of England, lasting until 3am tomorrow.

Forecasters say the rain will be falling on ground that is already saturated after Storm Henk, meaning flooding and travel disruption are more likely.

Announcing the major incident, Nottinghamshire County Council warned that tributaries feeding into the Trent, including the River Derwent, River Soar and River Dove, have already reached their peaks.

It statement continued: ‘Residents who live in the flood risk areas are being asked to ensure they have preparations in place in case they are asked to evacuate.

‘Councils, emergency services and the Environment Agency have been providing emergency support to communities impacted and will continue to provide support across the county.’

Meanwhile, Great Western Railway (GWR) has said trains may not be able to operate through certain areas of Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall due to anticipated flooding.

The sites ‘most at risk’ include sections of track between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads via Chippenham and Bath Spa, Newton Abbot and Plymouth, Exeter and Tiverton Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare, and Taunton and Westbury.

In a statement posted on social media, the rail operator said travellers in those areas should avoid starting their journeys by train this afternoon, adding: ‘Those who have already travelled should consider making the return journey as soon as possible.’

South Western Railway also said ‘severe disruption’ was expected on the tracks on the South Coast, south of Guildford and west of Basingstoke until 7pm today.

In its own social media post, the company said: ‘Later in the evening, there will likely be a significant knock-on impact on any services which serve these areas, meaning further disruption for the rest of the day.’

The British Red Cross has said its emergency response teams remain on standby in central, south and south-east England after helping 140 people evacuate from a holiday park in Northampton yesterday.

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