Shropshire river levels rise as rain continues

In Shropshire flood alerts for the River Severn are in place at Crew Green, Montford, Welsh Bridge, Buildwas and Bridgnorth.

At 7:30 today the level at the Welsh Bridge Gauge in Shrewsbury was 2.26metres and rising slowly. A peak level of between 2.9 and 3.4 metres is expected to occur Friday evening.

Drivers urged to take caution
Motorists were today urged to take care on the wet roads and avoid driving through any flood water.

Anna Higgins from the Safer Roads Partnership said: “We are urging all motorists to exercise caution in adverse weather conditions, use common sense and follow our simple advice. Localised flooding still exists in places and the current forecast is predicting more of the same so our advice is to stay alert to local weather and news reports and if your area is experiencing flooding it’s advisable to leave any non essential travel until it has subsided.”

Frankwell car park closed on Friday 21 December
Both the Riverside and main sections of the car park will be closed, and people are advised to take the Park and Ride service or use alternative car parks.

People attending an evening performance at Theatre Severn are advised to use St Julian’s Friars or Abbey Foregate car parks, or on-street parking in the town centre if available.

Stay aware of latest forecasts
The Met Office and the Environment Agency are advising the public to stay aware of the latest forecasts and warnings, and be prepared for possible travel disruption.

Andy Page, Met Office Chief Forecaster, said: "An active frontal system is moving eastwards across the UK over the next couple of days bringing rain to all parts of Britain.

"The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings which means that the public should plan ahead to take account of possible travel delays or disruption to their day to day activities. By thinking ahead the public can be more weather aware and better prepared for severe weather."

Craig Woolhouse, Head of Flood Incident Management at the Environment Agency, said: "Our teams have been out around the clock to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding. We urge people to keep up to date with the weather forecast and remain prepared for flooding in their area by signing up to receive free flood warnings and staying away from dangerous flood water."

Further heavy downpours are expected to spread from the South West later on Friday and into Saturday, with rainfall amounts reaching a further 20 to 30 mm in places.

Darron Burness, the AA's Head of Special Operations, said: "The run-up to Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for traffic so any bad weather can have a big impact on the roads. Even if you know your local roads, don't be complacent, as flash flooding is a real risk with so much water around. Keep tuned to local weather forecasts from the Met Office and travel reports and if it's bad where you are, only travel if it's essential. If you do head out, allow more time for your journey as you don't want to rush in conditions like this."

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