Disruption after flooding causes major incident

Disruption has continued after severe flooding from Storm Claudia led the fire service to declare a major incident in a Welsh town.

People were rescued from flooded homes in Monmouth, after overnight floods on Saturday left much of the town under water. Some had to be evacuated to a nearby library.

Four severe flood warnings are still in place for south-east Wales, meaning there is a “danger to life” in those areas. Flooding has been less severe in England, but an ongoing risk remains, with 42 flood warnings in place.

It comes as the UK heads towards a cold snap, bringing with it a chance of snow this week.

Meanwhile in Portugal, an 85-year-old British woman died after extreme winds hit a holiday campsite in a region that had been badly affected by the storm.

Storm Claudia – named by the Spanish meteorological agency – has already brought heavy rain and strong winds to Spain and Portugal.

Dramatic flooding was reported as the storm hit Ireland on Saturday, with Portarlington, on the border of counties Laois and Offaly, and County Wexford affected.

Train services in England and Wales were disrupted throughout Saturday, with delays and cancellations on some lines expected to continue into Sunday.

All lines were blocked between Swindon and Bristol Parkway on Sunday morning, Great Western Railway said, with services impacted between London Paddington and Swansea. The disruption is expected to last until midday.

National Rail has warned passengers to check before they travel and the AA told drivers to avoid travelling in “hazardous weather”.

The fire and rescue service in Monmouth said hundreds of homes were without power, while crews had responded to at least 80 flooding-related incidents since the River Monnow burst its banks on Friday night.

A county councillor said he was “absolutely heartbroken” for those affected by the flooding.

One family described the moment they were left holding on to a tree after their car was submerged by floodwater. Monmouthshire County Council has urged motorists to avoid travelling in the area.

The Environment Agency said 20 properties had flooded in England as a result of Storm Claudia, including some in Cumbria.

Officers from the agency were clearing debris and erecting temporary defences where required in affected areas, it added.

Some events were cancelled, including a Christmas event – Lapland UK – in Macclesfield, which was forced to shut because of falling trees.

The clear-up is under way with sub-zero temperatures approaching the UK next week. A drop in temperatures of around 5C is set to see top figures plunge to around 11C on Sunday and get colder for the start of the week.

The UK Health Security Agency, which covers England, has issued a cold weather alert from 08:00 GMT on Monday until Friday, for the north of England and Midlands.

The storm comes as the Environment Agency warned that England will experience widespread drought next year without a wet winter.

The country has received only 83% of the average rainfall for January to October, and suffered the driest spring for 132 years, as well as the hottest summer on record.

Despite recent rainfall, the situation remains “precarious”, the agency said.