Torrential rain warning for Wales

Press Releasein Industry News

Wales is bracing itself for a further torrential downpour with forecasters predicting the country will tomorrow be lashed by more than seven times the amount of daily average rainfall.

Just as the clean-up operation was helping life return to normal across Wales, forecasters warned there could be further flooding when the already saturated ground is hit by up to 30mm (1.18in) of rain tomorrow.

Meanwhile, police expressed disbelief yesterday that off-road enthusiasts were still using the mountain track where a 17-year-old girl died when a Land Rover was swept into a river in Friday's torrential floods, which killed at least four others across the UK.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Wales tomorrow due to the anticipated downpour.

Forecasters have issued an advisory notice for heavy rainfall covering Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Gower, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Anglesey.

The average monthly rainfall figure for September in Wales is 124mm. So 30mm represents almost a quarter of the monthly rainfall.

A Met Office "advisory" represents the second stage in the four levels of warning they make.

The organisation issues the warnings when they are "confident" of severe or extreme weather.

Met Office forecaster Neil Armstrong said: "Through Tuesday, the rain will spread to all parts of Wales and will turn heavy at times, especially over southern and western slopes.

"We're expecting between 20mm to 30mm on Tuesday.

"In itself this is not particularly heavy, but on top of the rainfall we've already had and following a wet summer the ground is quite saturated.

"So any extra rain is going into rivers quite quickly and which rivers will respond we're not really able to say."

Mr Armstrong said further flooding was possible.

Though Wales could be hit by a further 15mm of rain on Thursday, the Met Office said Tuesday should mark the end of the monsoon-like conditions the country has endured since last Friday.

Police warned the death involving the teenage girl from the Thamesmead area of London may not be the last tragedy of the bad weather if their advice continues to be ignored.

Police inspector Roger Tavener said: "More off road enthusiasts have driven that track since this tragedy.

"We ask that persons be sensible during this period of inclement weather as there is the potential for a similar tragedy."

Elsewhere, the South Wales Valleys were left devastated by Friday's downpour, with properties evacuated and homes left under several feet of water. And Environment Agency Wales was yesterday warning homeowners and businesses across the country to prepare for a further deluge tomorrow.

At mid-afternoon yesterday, the Agency had four flood warnings (the second-stage in the organisation's three levels of alert) in place and 16 flood watches (the first stage).

A spokesperson for Environment Agency Wales said: "We're strongly advising people to remain vigilant because river levels remain high and the ground is saturated.

"Any extra rain means river levels can rise and any short intense period of rain in any location could mean that we would be issuing flood watches or flood warnings again."

Rhondda Cynon Taf council, which covers many of the valleys communities worst affected by Friday's flooding, said residents evacuated from their homes in Rhydyfelin and Abercynon have returned.

All roads have also reopened in the severely-affected areas, apart from the B4276 at Llwydcoed in the Cynon Valley, which remains closed due to major damage.

Also following a major landslip at Llanbradach in the Rhymney Valley, train passengers will have to endure disruption between Caerphilly and Rhymney. Replacement bus services are operating and the normal service is not expected to resume until September 15.

Services between Caerphilly and Penarth will be running normally today, along with a special shuttle between Ystrad Mynach and Bargoed/Rhymney.

There are also frequent replacement buses between Ystrad Mynach and Caerphilly.

The line between Hereford and Abergavenny remains closed due to flooding affecting North to South Wales services and South Wales to Manchester trains.

Replacement buses are operating between Hereford and Newport.

Source:- Walesonline.co.uk

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