Autumn storm wreaks havoc

Britons felt the brunt of the autumn's first major storm today with torrential rain and high winds causing flooding and widespread chaos.

People were evacuated from their homes and rescued from their cars, and the promise of further deluges has raised the prospect of extensive flooding.

In parts of the country already ravaged by flooding, further misery was heaped on residents with one woman, Carol Pritchard, contemplating abandoning her home in Lydney in Gloucestershire's Forest of Dean, after it was flooded for the third time in a year.

Elsewhere in Gloucestershire, postwoman Elizabeth Brain braved the elements to carry out her gruelling five-hour round in Westbury-on-Severn, successfully delivering to all but three of the 320 houses.

Ms Brain, 23, from Cinderford, said: "All of us postwomen and men are exceptional because we do it in all weathers - even in the snow. I've been doing this job for five years so I'm hardened to it. I really enjoy it - I couldn't be stuck in an office.

"There were a couple of roads underwater and a couple of houses I couldn't get to because of the flooding.

"At one point I was going a bit too fast and it was coming over the top of my wellies.

"Luckily, my very flattering coat keeps me dry, and I'll be back out there tomorrow."

The number of flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency (EA) rose steadily throughout the day and it warned tonight that the threat of flooding was likely to increase as rainwater drained into river systems in the coming hours.

Wales and South-west England bore the brunt of the deluge, with heavy and persistent rainfall causing localised flooding.

Severe weather warnings are in place across large swathes of the UK with the heavy rain expected to drift north tonight. Last year flooding crippled parts of central and northern England.

Emergency services, who have been working around the clock, have been inundated with calls as roads flooded and people were trapped in their cars.

The AA reported a higher than normal number of breakdowns as cars ran into trouble after trying to drive through floodwater.

Today's deluge followed persistent rainfall in many parts of the UK last night.

Parts of South Wales were expected to receive more than two inches of rain by the end of today.

The Environment Agency has 63 flood watches and 25 flood warnings in place, mainly in Wales.

Two severe flood warnings have been issued, the first near the town of Tredegar, Caerphilly, and the second in Aberfan near Merthyr Tydfil.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "The threat of flooding is likely to increase, we cannot say how serious it might be until the rain has stopped falling."

Parts of the UK experienced gale-force winds, with gusts of more than 60mph recorded at headlands near Torbay in Devon this morning.

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings across large swathes of the country, including all of Wales, south west England, the north west, the West Midlands and parts of Northern Ireland.

Bodmin Moor in Cornwall was the wettest place in the UK yesterday, with more than one inch of rain falling overnight.

Meanwhile in Lydney, Mrs Pritchard, said the front room of her home in Lakeside Avenue was deluged with rancid water just three days after a new oak panelled floor had been fitted.

The mother-of-four told the Western Daily Press: "This is horrendous, far worse than last time. It came through the house like a river and caused complete devastation.

"It's taken seven months to get everything sorted out after last time and they only finished on Monday. Now everything has been ruined and we've got to start all over again."

In Ynysboeth, near Nantyfedw, Cynon Valley, South Wales, a mother and her baby were rescued from their home after it was threatened by five foot of floodwater.

Two women were released from their cars this morning when they became stuck under bridges - one in Merthyr Mawr, near Bridgend, and the other in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil.

In Devon, a motorist was rescued by firefighters after a branch fell on his car.

A lorry was stuck in rising flood water near Cadeleigh, Tiverton, mid Devon, after a river burst its banks, and the driver was stuck in his cab.

A woman was rescued from her car, which was stuck in flood water in the Rackenford area of east Devon.

And a motorist was trapped in a car by around a metre of floodwater in Bideford, north Devon, and was rescued by firefighters.

Cultural events have also been disrupted with many now cancelled due to the weather.

Plans to build a 26ft-long ice sculpture of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol were scrapped due to rain.

Some sports pitches were closed in Devon and a Gloucester primary school was shut when its playground and playing fields flooded.

Elsewhere in Wales, the ninth Jazz in the Park event in Pontypool was cancelled as was Cardiff Pride 2008.

Some events have gone ahead despite the rain including the Bestival music festival on the Isle of Wight.

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