UK weather: Storm Dennis continues to lash country as roads shut and railway lines flooded

Patrick Grafton-Green20 February 2020

Storm Dennis shut down roads and flooded railway lines on Sunday morning as it lashed large parts of the country with rain and strong winds.

The situation was said to be "life-threatening" in South Wales, where the Met Office issued a rare red warning due to heavy rainfall and flooding risk.

"It's quite an extreme move but we have seen widespread falls across the whole region," forecaster Greg Dewhurst said.

At about 7am on Sunday there were 198 flood warnings, meaning immediate action is required, and 326 flood alerts warning people to be prepared, covering an area from Scotland's River Tweed to the rivers of west Cornwall.

Severe flood warnings were issued for the Scottish Borders and for the River Neath in south Wales, the River Taff burst its banks at Pontypridd.

In the 24 hours to 7am, Tredegar in south-eastern Wales received 105mm of rain, while the fastest gust recorded in same period was in Aberdaron where 91mph was recorded at 6pm on Saturday.

Storm Dennis - in pictures

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The Met Office has issued amber alerts - meaning people must be prepared to change plans and protect themselves and their family from the storm - for parts of Yorkshire, Wales, Devon, East Sussex and Kent.

Flood water surrounds the bowling club after the River Taff burst its banks in Taffs Wells, north of Cardiff
AFP via Getty Images

Rail services were suspended across south Wales after tracks were submerged by rain, while the line between Derby and Long Eaton was also closed.

A member of the public is rescued after flooding in Nantgarw, Wales
PA

Flooding saw the M54 westbound closed at Telford, along with the A616 around Stocksbridge in South Yorkshire and the A52 between Stragglethorpe and Gamston in the East Midlands, Highways England said.

A view of fields flooded near St Clears, Pembrokeshire, south Wales
REUTERS

Relief from Storm Dennis is still some distance away, the Met Office's Mr Dewhurst said, adding that "heavy rain and strong winds" would continue across large parts of the UK on Sunday.

"South Wales will see a lot of rain fall before Dennis moves north later to Scotland and Northern Ireland," he said.

The Ministry of Defence deployed British Army personnel on Saturday to assist people in West Yorkshire areas badly hit by flooding during last weekend's Storm Ciara.

Flights have been grounded for safety reasons, with British Airways and easyJet confirming cancellations.

More than 230 easyJet flights in and out of the UK on Saturday were cancelled, while several sporting fixtures were also called off due to the weather.

Two bodies were pulled from rough seas on Saturday, before the worst of the storm hit.

One man was found following a huge search operation off Margate after an early-morning distress call, while another was found at Herne Bay.

Additional reporting by PA Media

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