Weather: Flood Warnings As Tidal Surges Hit

Some roads are now under water and rivers have burst their banks as parts of the UK are deluged by further flooding.

At least eight severe flood warnings, which indicate a risk to life, were in place for England and Wales as heavy rain and strong winds, combined with exceptionally high tides, struck western parts.

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Among the areas affected were the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, parts of Dorset and Gloucestershire, and Wales as the latest violent storm swept in from the Atlantic.

In North Wales, five people were rescued from a flood-hit caravan park in Gwynedd.

A lifeboat crew along with North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the coastguard evacuated them from the site in Pwllheli.

And four people were rescued from a farm in Llanbedr, near Barmouth.

People were rescued from a flooded farm in North Wales. Pic: RNLI

Two of the severe warnings were for the South West, with three in Wales and three in the Midlands.

Around 130 flood warnings (meaning flooding is expected) and 230 less serious alerts were also in place, affecting every region of England and Wales.

There were high tides later on the North West coastline bringing further threats to communities in and around those areas, including in Chester, where sand bags were laid.

Also inland, the risk was that rivers - already swollen from weeks of rain -  would rise still further and burst their banks.

Eight severe flood warnings have been issued

And for counties such as Dorset and Gloucestershire that were affected earlier in the day by floods, the evening high tide means further potential problems.

Meanwhile, the Thames Flood Barrier in London has been closed due to a high flow of water over Teddington Weir combined with a spring tide.

Flooding in Lynmouth, north Devon

It is has also been announced that December 2013 was the wettest month in Scotland since records began in 1910.

In Christchurch, Dorset, the River Stour burst its banks. Sky's Stephen Douglas at the scene said: "A number of homes have been evacuated so people are listening to the warnings hoping it doesn't get any worse than this."

In Burrowbridge, Somerset, the River Parrett burst its banks as did the River Severn in Minsterworth, Gloucestershire.

This was the scene in Kingsbridge, Devon. Pic: norsphoto/Twitter

Some roads in Gloucestershire were "impassable" due to flooding, including in Tewkesbury.

In Cornwall, there has been flooding in areas including Penzance, Newquay, Looe and Polperro and there have been road closures. In Devon, towns including Kingsbridge and Salcombe were affected.

But the situation in the two most southwesterly counties has been slightly better than was anticipated, according to the RNLI.

There are around 130 flood warnings for England and Wales

Spokesman Tom Mansell said: "There has been flooding in places like Looe, Kingsbridge and Salcombe but it is not as bad as we had been expecting."

He added a man in Cornwall had a "very lucky escape" when his car was swept away as he wave-watched.

"People think they are in a strong metal box but moving water on tarmac becomes very buoyant," he said.

One man in Penzance was evacuated from his home after it was "severely affected" by floods.

In the South East, Yalding in Kent was deluged again overnight but not on the same scale as over Christmas, according to reports.

The unsettled conditions in the UK are expected to remain for the next few days, forecasters say.

The scene in the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire

Sky's weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The area most at risk today will be the southwest of England where the second high tide today will be during this evening's rush hour.

"Tonight the winds will ease, but rain is expected across southern parts of England and Wales by the morning. This rain will spread north on Saturday. On Sunday more rain will spread across all parts of the UK and next week remains unsettled with further downpours."

There are also suggestions that there may be snow across northern England, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland on Saturday.

Flooding in Salcombe, Devon. Pic: RNLI

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 38 flood warnings for Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Dumfries and Galloway, Skye and Lochaber, Tayside and West Central Scotland.

Belfast avoided the serious flooding that had been feared after a tidal surge came and went without breaching defences.

But in Coleraine, in Co Londonderry, there were reports of flooding after the River Bann broke its banks.

Floods in Newport, South Wales

On the east coast of the region, towns and villages such as Cushendall, Carnlough, Newcastle and Portaferry took a battering.

In the Irish Republic, forecasters have issued a "status orange" weather warning, with gusts of up to 80mph hitting Connacht, Donegal, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

High tides, strong winds and rainfall have caused flooding in parts of Cork, Galway, Salthill, Waterford, Tralee, Clare and Mayo, while the River Shannon has burst its banks in Limerick.

There are flood warnings and alerts across the UK

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who has chaired another emergency meeting in London, said: "The Environment Agency and local authorities have teams on the ground monitoring the situation as it emerges.

"With a number of severe flood warnings still in place I urge everyone to follow the advice from the Environment Agency and police and to take every precaution."

A search for a 27-year-old man who was swept out to sea while celebrating the new year on the beach with friends near Porthleven, in Cornwall, was called off on Thursday after a body was found.

A train passes through the coast at Saltcoats in Scotland

That came after a woman, thought to be on holiday with her family, died in the surf in north Devon.

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