UK Weather: Rain Brings Severe Flooding And Landslip (PICTURES)

UK Weather: Rain Brings Severe Flooding And Landslip (PICTURES)

A landslip and localised flooding has been caused by heavy rain which has pelted parts of the country.

The South West was hit by two storm fronts which has resulted in flooding across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.

Fire crews in North Somerset spent more than six hours pumping water out of homes and two hours at the scene of a "serious" landslip which brought soil, rocks and debris down on to a country lane.

Rain continues to sweep the country - but didn't put off these spectators as they watched the women's marathon run past Buckingham Palace, London, on Sunday

Firefighters worked with rescue teams at the landslip in Failand Lane in Portbury, near Bristol, to ensure that no-one had been trapped underneath.

Last month two people were killed when a landslide engulfed their car in Beaminster, Dorset, and their bodies remained undiscovered for 10 days.

A spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue said: "In amongst all of the flooding calls received we also had a serious event at 8.30pm last night.

"As a result of the heavy rains and the run-off surface water from the surrounding fields, we had some major landslips within the lane, bringing down lots of soil, rocks and other debris, including fallen trees.

"Crews from Pill and Bedminster fire stations attended and subsequently requested the assistance of the urban search and rescue team with search equipment in the possibility that the slide had covered anyone that might have been in the lane.

"Very fortunately after extensive searching the area was declared clear."

The fire service and search and rescue teams were helped by a local farmer with his tractor to clear a safe passage through the lane.

"This allowed one family that were trapped in their property by the slides to get access to and from the lane," the fire service spokesman said.

Earlier on in the evening emergency services received around 80 calls after heavy rain flooded people's homes in Nailsea.

"It's been an extremely busy night for the service," the spokesman said.

Rosemary Snell was one of two people were killed when a landslide engulfed their car in Beaminster, Dorset, last month

"At approximately six o'clock two storm fronts progressed through the North Somerset area, affecting great areas of Nailsea in particular and we received numerous flooding calls over the next few hours.

"Crews went to pump out properties or flooded road ways where the system was just totally inundated by the amount of rain that fell in the few hours.

"Crews were operating in the Nailsea area through six and a half hours with the last property left at just past half past midnight.

"Additionally there were flooding incidents reported and dealt with in the Pill, Shirehampton and Tockington areas as the flooding progressed on with the storms."

Fire crews have also been dealing with flooding incidents in north Cornwall and north Devon.

Six firefighters helped two people after their car became trapped in water on the A3072 at Redpost, near Bude, on Saturday evening.

A spokesman for Cornwall Fire and Rescue said: "One crew of six firefighters attended a call to a vehicle stuck in floodwater on the main road from Bude to Holsworthy.

"On the crew's arrival one vehicle with two people inside was stuck in floodwater no more than one foot deep.

"Fire crews manually pushed the vehicle out of the floodwater."

A highways team was requested to attend to help clean the road up, while fire crews used a light portable pump to remove water from the road. Firefighters also located and unblocked a culvert.

Meanwhile crews in Devon were called to homes in Bideford and Holsworthy where the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service dealt with a number of flooding incidents.

There have been no reports of any injuries.

Homeowners have been warned of the possibility of flooding in parts of west Wales.

The Met Office has an amber warning in place, stating: "Slow-moving, torrential downpours will occur today, some of them thundery, with the risk of hail and strong winds.

"The public are advised to be prepared for the risk of localised flooding."

The warning was put in place at 11.50am this morning and is valid until 10pm tonight.

The Environment Agency has put a flood warning in place on the River Hydfron at Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, and an alert on rivers on the eastern Cleddau, Pembrokeshire.

A spokesman said: "The rainfall is forecast to continue until 4pm.

"The heaviest rainfall has now cleared the area.

"The combination of ground conditions, existing river levels and forecast rainfall quantities gives a high risk of flooding of low-lying land during the next 12 hours.

"There is the potential for extremely intense showers to develop over the next few hours into Sunday afternoon."

The fire service has attended flooded properties in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, after flash flooding in the area.

Water has also flooded a property in Varteg Blaenavon, Torfaen.

In northern England properties and roads were inundated after heavy showers moved across the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland yesterday afternoon and evening.

North Yorkshire Fire Service said they were first called to a flooded property at Little Ouseburn, near Boroughbridge at about 6.30pm and a house in Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, which had 2ft of water in the kitchen.

A spokesman said crews were then called to properties flooded on the main street in nearby Kirkby Malzeard and a restaurant in Harrogate.

At 8.50pm a crew from Masham came to the aid of a driver whose car had got stuck in flood water on Thorpe Road, in the village.

Earlier, flash flooding hit the Haltwhistle area of Northumberland closing the A69 Newcastle to Carlisle road for a time.

There has also been flooding in southern Scotland.

Police said some roads in Jedburgh in the Borders are closed after flash flooding hit the area following heavy rain today.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue have five pumping appliances and a high-volume pump in the centre of the town, where the High Street has been hit by flooding.

The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared" warnings of slow-moving heavy showers through the day in south-west Scotland, Lothian and Borders and Strathclyde.

It said flooding is likely in places.

Yellow "be aware" warnings have been issued for the Highlands, Western Isles, Central Scotland, Tayside and Fife.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 10 flood alerts across Scotland.

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