UK weather: Flood warnings issued across UK as river levels rise after wet Easter

Rain and snow fell across Britain over bank holiday weekend

The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings across the country after the wet Easter weather caused many rivers to burst their banks.

Rain and snow fell widely across the UK over the bank holiday weekend, sparking a rise in water levels.

By late on Tuesday afternoon, the Environment Agency has issued 177 flood alerts, with 26 of them urging “immediate action”.

The West Midlands, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire and the North East were among the worst affected areas.

Residents in flooded areas, including Wiltshire, were among those who shared photos and videos.

On Tuesday morning, York’s 16.5-tonne Foss Barrier was lowered in an attempt to stem the rising water level where the river joins the Ouse.

The Environment Agency issued a warning for properties along the Ouse, which burst its banks, stating that flooding was expected and that immediate action was required.

Pictures from Cambridge also showed the river Cam at a higher level than usual, with one Twitter user warning that the wooden Queens’ College’s Mathematical Bridge could be at risk.

He said: “It’s not often you see the river Cam flowing so fast and that’s the reason I made the videos today [Tuesday] (about 11am). It is normally so calm, lazy even, but today it looked moody.”

In Wiltshire, the river Avon was higher than usual and blue flood barriers were put into place along the banks.

There were multiple flood warnings in place in the West Midlands along the River Severn.

Three people and a dog were rescued from a car stuck in flood water in Derbyshire, and firefighters were helping residents in North Yorkshire after overnight flooding.

There could be more problems in store as a fresh wave of snow sweeps into Britain.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of snow in central and northern parts of Scotland from Tuesday afternoon to 3pm on Wednesday, especially on higher ground.

It warned that roads and rail lines were likely to be affected, resulting in longer journey times.

Drivers across Scotland were advised to travel with caution, with Police Scotland extending its warning for some areas north of Scotland’s central belt for the same time period.

Outbreaks of snow, sleet and rain are forecast across Highland, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, Perthshire, Stirlingshire and Argyll.