It's not over yet: washout Britain on alert for more flooding

THE Environment Agency yesterday warned of an immediate risk of further flooding, with water released by last week’s torrential downpours threatening to overwhelm river and drainage systems across the country.

Last night six severe flood warnings remained in place in the Midlands and motorists were still facing long delays on the M5 and the M50. Police advised anyone venturing through Hereford and Worcestershire to pack plenty of supplies and warm clothing as more heavy rain is predicted in the region today and into this week.

“It’s not over yet,” said Phil Rothwell, head of flood risk policy at the Environment Agency. “Over the next one to two days some of our biggest rivers like the Severn will keep rising. The areas around the Severn, [upper] Thames, upper Great Ouse and others in Lincolnshire will remain at risk of floods.”

The warnings follow two days of chaos after a series of cloud-bursts hit England and Wales, flooding homes, stranding holi-daymakers and bringing businesses to a halt.

Yesterday rescuers were still dealing with the aftermath of the disaster, which saw hundreds of rail and bus services cancelled and thousands of cars stuck. Ten thousand drivers had to spend Friday night in their vehicles on the M5 after floods caused a 40-mile gridlock.

The train company First Great Western announced the Cotswold line between Oxford and Worcester would be closed for up to a week while Network Rail repaired flood damage in the Evenlode valley, Oxfordshire.

Severe flood warnings remained on the rivers Severn, Avon and Teme.

Yesterday Gordon Brown acknowledged the scale of the crisis, promising local authorities 100% government compensation for the costs of dealing with the freak rainfall.

Brown defended the government’s record of investment in flood defences as some experts argued that Britain is badly prepared to deal with the increasing number of extreme weather events.

MPs attacked the government’s “appalling response” to the crisis. John Redwood, the Conservative MP for Woking-ham, Berkshire, which was badly affected, said: “The government’s failure to prevent these floods is an outrage. Their response was appallingly lackadaisical.

“There were no sandbags in place, no pumps and no ditches had been cleared. Why wasn’t the fire brigade or even the army mobilised?"

Chrise Huhne, the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh, Hampshire, said: “The government patently failed to alert the public to these floods. Flood defences and, more importantly drains and sewers, are not properly maintained.”

Last night the bad weather moved north and conditions in the Atlantic brought warning of more rain on Monday.